Obsession
by MacSas
Summary: Abby fears that a dangerous man from her past is back. A shocking attack brings the two teams together. While the BAU search for Foyet, Aaron worries that Abby is in danger, Gibbs realizes time may have run out for him and Rossi finds love but at what price? An ending that change all their lives... NOW COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Obsession

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><p><span>Authors Note<span>: _Incorporating the episodes of both NCIS and Criminal Minds to make one cross over story based around Abby, Aaron and Gibbs. I have taken the liberty of re writing the actual "events" of the episodes so that the original characters have either been swapped for one of my 3 or no longer exist in the context of the particular episode. Hopefully the episodes will meld together as well on paper as they do in my head _

_Fans of each show will recognize the episodes that I have used – I apologise in advance if tampering with the originals causes "grief" to certain fans._

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

Abby knew she needed help.

For weeks she had been having the feeling that something was off balance. Considering the job she had and the people she had come in contact with on a daily basis, trusting her instincts had kept her ahead of the game, and on occasion had saved her life.

So when she felt like something was wrong, she normally acted on it. However, for weeks she had waited to see if this feeling would pass, simply because if she acted it would mean two of her most precious friendships colliding. She loathed over bearing men, and yet her two closest friends were just that – well, mainly just over protective and only of her, which infuriated her more. Both men knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself. But both also had good reasons for looking out for her. Recent history had taught her to fear what she could not control, and trust now was a rare commodity. Both Gibbs and Aaron had consoled her and proudly watched her pick herself up after a relationship had ended with this damage to her psyche. She had been with Hunter for nearly 3 years when she detected changes in his personality. During their last 6 months together, her normally sweet guy turned into an abrasive and almost cold hearted snake. What confused her was that it seemed to happen overnight. She suspected him of cheating, though he continually accused her of sleeping with Aaron, her best friend. After all, she knew only a guilty person would lay blame so harshly somewhere else. When the accusations started turning into violence Abby had worked hard to keep her turmoil from Gibbs. His reaction to McGee not hearing her calls for help when she was trapped and almost killed in the car called Otto proved actions spoke louder than words with her beloved mentor. Aaron had been too close to her not to notice. He had given her the ultimatum of ending it with Hunter or him ending it for her. Knowing that Aaron would not have ended it with polite goodbyes on her behalf, she had taken stock of what he had said during the long confidence boosting conversation after he found bruises she thought she had hidden, and found the strength to walk away. It hadn't been easy; she and Hunter had had nearly 3 good years before things went wrong, but she had had Aaron beside her every step of the way. It was a little later that she discovered the reason for Hunters Dr Jekyll type turn. He had been dabbling in drugs and had developed a liking for steroids.

Annoyed at the sudden depression thinking of Hunter always bought, she shook her head and mentally pulled up the facts that were causing the gut instinct.

The facts went back a few years to almost the beginning of her career. She had been loaned out to the BAU as a consultant in a case that Jason Gideon had been in charge of. It centered around a killer calling himself The Reaper. At the time Gideon had been at the twilight of his career and there were loud whispers around the BAU that he had gone over the line on more than one occasion and that he was on the way out. Abby saw something different; a man who had become so burned out by the world of darkness he worked in that he had almost forgotten what good looked like. Maybe that was why the Reaper had been able to fool him into making that deal. Deal with the Devil he had called it when he confided to Abby what he had done. The Reaper had simply called him one night and offered him a way to stop the killings. "Stop hunting me and I will stop hunting them." So, although he had no way of knowing what hell would later be unleashed, Gideon had placed an ad in the paper as Reaper had requested – and the killings had stopped.

A few years passed and then Abby had received word that Gideon had "disappeared." The burn out had finally gotten to him and he went off into the world to find himself. Abby hoped that he would succeed. For a man that had given so much in the pursuit of evil, he had been given so little back. He was one of those people that her heart tended to bleed for.

Aaron had inherited the case and his brilliant team had worked themselves at a hell of a pace to find Reaper. Because Abby had worked the original case with Gideon, Aaron had requested her help from NCIS, something Gibbs had not been happy about. He knew that the Reaper case had plagued Abby and had not been happy when Abby had agreed to help out a second time. When the Reaper had finally been caught it uncovered a deeper mystery. Reaper had been the alter ego of George Foyet – who was thought to have been the only person to survive an attack by the Reaper. Turned out that Foyet had killed his girlfriend, raced to a phone to call for help under the guise of the Reaper, and then stabbed himself. Abby was stilled stunned at how easily Foyet had fooled her and Gideon and then played the BAU. Of course they should have known that catching him wouldn't be the end of it. By the time she and Aaron had landed and returned to their respective offices, Foyet had escaped custody and was still on the loose.

Now things were happening that had Abby wondering if the Reaper had come out to play again.

First there had been the little gifts sent to her office; roses that she thought had been from Gibbs, a necklace that she thought had been from Aaron, notes that had been left on her desk complimenting her on how she had looked that day or what a great job she had done with a case. Considering she was used to receiving notes of love from Gibbs she hadn't given these a second thought. When she started receiving notes pinned to the front door of her home, she casually asked Gibbs about his new delivery method. When he told her that he would only ever put notes on her desk, she knew she was right to worry. Someone had been leaving the notes and gifts at her office and home – but it was neither Aaron nor Gibbs. That left her with the prospect of either having a secret admirer, or a stalker. Either one would cause problems for her with both Gibbs and Aaron. But there was a worse option.

The tickling in her gut told her that Foyet was about to reveal himself again.

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><p><em>What do you think? :)<em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors**** Note:** _Please remember that this is based on certain episodes of CM and NCIS. Some of the stuff will appear out of order as I find it fits better in certain ways with my story. For that reason, you will see that Hotch and Hayley didn't wed right out of school (as has been eluded to in CM episodes) but later in life. Also, readers will see in future chapters that I may leave out a few people from both teams - not because I don't like them but because they didn't "fit" with the story. _

_Thanks :)_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Aaron Hotchner was a man of instinct. He relied on that feeling in his gut when he was on a case. It was that feeling that had often led him to the "aha" moment that solved a case when it seemed there was nothing to go on. It was that feeling that had saved his life when he faced a mad man intent on taking down his team, starting with him. And it was that feeling that assured him that despite Strauss having a vendetta against his team, they would stay together and on top of their game. His unit was tight; they often complained about knowing each other's business far too much, but Hotch knew that none of them would trade that feeling of security for anything else in the world.

But Aaron didn't need his famed instinct to tell him that something was wrong with his best friend. He had known her for too many years to not know when she was hiding something. He was the person who knew her better than anyone else on the planet. Aaron and Abby made what many deemed an unusual BFF situation. He was so serious and true north; she was a free spirit who preferred not to do what folks expected her to do.

Aaron had first met Abby when she was attending Georgia State University. She had attended a class on Criminology that he and a colleague were guest lecturing. Although he had noticed her in the back row (mainly because she barely looked up from the mountain of notes she was taking) they didn't officially meet until later that night when he wound up in the club she happened to be a waitress in. She took his order and a bit of his heart at the same time. After her shift ended he asked if he could walk her home. They wound up talking well into the night and the early hours of the following morning. Despite a 10 year age gap, Abby had accepted his offer of dinner and the two began dating. For nearly 2 years they had been inseparable. It was the most comfortable, stable relationship he had had. Abby was such a joy to be with. And because she was 10 years younger than him, he had been the first man she had shared a lot of things with. He had been her first serious boyfriend, the first man she had taken to meet her family, her first true confidant, her first lover, and her first real friend. Neither of them could say when the physical romance had simply morphed into their current BFF relationship; it was like one day they just stopped sleeping together and became true soul mates in the best sense of the term. Aaron had moved on to marry Hayley, and Abby had moved on to date Hunter. Both relationships had been disasters in their own ways, but Abby certainly got the worse deal. It still infuriated Aaron every time he recalled the day he had seen the bruises that Abby hadn't been able to hide. A call to the local hospital after she had been forced to seek medical attention after a fight with Hunter had confirmed Aaron's worst fears. His bright bubbly friend had been dimmed by the abuse and depleting of self confidence. He had made it his mission to bring her back to the Abby he knew and loved, and the first step had been getting her to realise that she needed to leave Hunter behind. It had taken time, tears, and a lot of love, but Aaron had rallied his pal back to her former self. Though he knew that she would always carry baggage and insecurities from that disaster, he also knew that she wasn't a quitter. He knew that as sure as he knew that she was hiding something now.

Although Abby was more open with him than even Gibbs, and there were things about her past that he would take to the grave with him, Aaron knew there were times when Abby just insisted on taking care of things by herself. It was a coping thing she did to assure herself that she could still take care of herself, despite being surrounded by gun totting manly men. Aaron knew that, understood why she did it, but definitely did not like it. Mainly because the things she tried taking care of on her own were things that she definitely needed help with. And considering the line of work that she was in, there were many times that she had unknowingly put herself in harm's way just to prove a point. Aaron couldn't help but wonder if now was one of those times. He just knew something was not right, and was about to get to the bottom of it.

**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**  
><strong>

**_NCIS offices_**

Abby was in her lab sorting through evidence collected by her team. New evidence on a new case always gave her a bit of a thrill. She always felt empathy for the victims, but a new case always meant a new chance to challenge and better herself and her talents. She loved puzzles and the thrill she got when her brain bettered an unsub. On this occasion though, she was enjoying being busy with a new case for another reason – if she were knee deep in a case she couldn't allow herself to be distracted by thoughts of Foyet.

So it was a shock to her when she realised that somehow, something had gone wrong with her evidence. One minute she was happily mixing chemicals, the next she was rushing for the door when she smelt the distinct odor of almonds that accompanied cyanide gas. As she exited the lab and hit the alarm to warn the rest of the office area, she realised that Foyet was once again distracting her.

**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS**CM/NCIS****

Gibbs was furious.

As he made his way down to autopsy where Abby was being checked by Ducky, he couldn't help the flash of fear that trickled through him along with the fury. The scientist checking the lab had just told him that another 3 minutes would have been all it took for Abby to have been killed. Thankfully she had not only smelt the almond odor, she had also known what it meant.

Once again Abby had gotten too close to the fire and he had almost lost her. How many times had he fretted and worried that she was in the line of fire? It had not been that long ago that he had dragged Abby from the killer car she and McGee had been working on. He had just exited the elevator when he saw Abby trapped inside the car screaming for help as exhaust fumes filled the interior. The feeling of terror that gripped him then remained with him now. The last woman he had loved like this wound up being killed by a crazed drug dealer while he had been serving overseas. He was damned sure that he would not lose Abby. If he could convince her to stay in the office and be safe forever, he would do it in a heartbeat. But he knew that the Abby that he loved would then be lost forever. She was not the type to sit on the sidelines. Still, it didn't keep him from wanting to wrap her up in his arms and keep her safe from the world forever. If only she would listen to his concerns about her safety and took them seriously. Instead she would smile lovingly and simply point out that she was not Shannon and that he had to let her live her life. He knew that she was right about him being over protective because he loved her and that she had to be allowed to do her job the way she saw fit. He also knew that she wouldn't knowingly put herself in danger. But being the veteran that he was he also knew that Abby was a target simply because of where she worked and who she worked with. It was bad enough that NCIS had their share of weirdo's ready to take them down; but for Abby it was doubled due to her work with the BAU. Gibbs shook his head as he entered the hall leading down to autopsy. It was kind of ironic that he loved Abby to death, because he was sure that she would end up being the death of him.

More evidence now suggested that the crime scene the team had been to that morning was staged. At first they believed it was to set up an employee at the motel. But when Abby mixed chemicals in her drug kit the cocaine found at the crime scene turned gaseous. This meant that the real target of the set up scene had to be Abby. Gibbs knew that Abby was keeping something from him, and he now intended to find out what it was.

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Assembled in the autopsy room were Ducky, Jimmy, and Gibbs. All 3 men had their eyes firmly fixed on the woman sitting on the steel table in the middle of the room.

Abby kept her eyes fixed on the floor and refused to say a word.

"Abby," Gibbs tried again, a little firmer tone to his voice this time. "The crime scene was a set up and you seem to be the target"

When there was still no flicker of interest from Abby, Gibbs sighed loudly. Looking pointedly at Ducky he asked, "A little time alone here please Duck"

Dr Mallard gave a slight sigh. Abby was close to his heart as well, and he wanted to know what was going on. However, he knew that Gibbs had special interest in getting to what was troubling Abby, and he wouldn't begrudge him that.

"Mr Palmer" Ducky motioned to his young intern as he headed for the door. "Have I ever told you about the time I rescued Grace Kelly from a bee attack?"

Mention of Grace Kelly and a bee attack instantly had Palmer's attention. "Seriously?" he asked as he quickly followed the doctor.

As their voices faded away Gibbs walked over to Abby, who hadn't allowed her eyes to drift up from the spot on the floor. Placing a hand on either side of her, Gibbs leaned into her space.

"Hey" he whispered.

Still she didn't look up. "I'm fine Gibbs" she whispered. "You heard Ducky. I wasn't exposed to the gas long enough for there..."

"...To be long term effects" Gibbs interrupted. "Yeah I heard him"

Using his finger he tilted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "What's going on, Sweetheart?"

Abby shrugged. "Why ask when I know that you have checked and already know what I've been suspecting for months?"

Gibbs sighed. "You're sure that this could be Foyet?"

"No" she said. "It could have been just an accident"

"Except you don't have accidents"

"Well, there is that. So that leaves Foyet. Unless I have a stalker out there"

"This has been happening for months and you didn't tell me?"

"Didn't want you to worry"

"Abby!" Gibbs sighed loudly. Walked to the other side of the room, and then stormed right back to her. "Why didn't you come to me?"

Abby smiled at him. "I wasn't sure it was Foyet ..."

"Doesn't matter Abbs. You should have told me what was happening. I can't believe that you have been keeping all this inside you for months and not said a word to me about it. I thought you could come to me with anything"

"I can ... just not this"

"Bet you went to Aaron though"

As soon as the words were out, Gibbs regretted them. He knew that Aaron had been a sore point in her relationship with Hunter.

"Abby, sorry, I just can't understand why you didn't talk to me."

"I thought I was being crazy. I wanted something to prove to myself that I was right. Besides, if I told you, you would have sought him out and beaten him with a baseball bat. Where would that leave us?"

Gibbs had to smile at that. She really did know him too well.

"Besides," she continued, "if it really is Foyet, I won't be safe anywhere from him. And I don't want the people I love to get caught in the crossfire."

"That's not your decision to make, Abby. The people you love want to be there for you. _I_ want to be there for you." He tipped her chin up again and looked into her eyes to ensure she heard his next words. "I _will_ be there for you, Abby. He will not get to you"

"You're trying to make me feel better" she smiled.

"Of course I am, that's my job"

Placing his hands on her cheeks he drew her closer to him. "Trust me, Abby"

He kissed her softly and repeated, "Trust me"

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	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: **Big thanks to those lovely readers that have Favored and/or Followed me or the story. _

_I really hope this continues to track along well - I had so many issues getting this chapter done! Nothing seemed to meld together properly (I think being super busy at me "real" job had a lot to do with the lack of thought process though :) ) The upside is, this was possibly the hardest chapter to write as I have the rest of the story flowing easily. _

_Enjoy!_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

David Rossi entered Aaron's office at the sound of his raised voice. The person on the other end of the phone was certainly getting to know exactly how Hotch could lose his famed calm demeanor. And to Rossi that meant that the reason could be nothing other than one Abigail Sciuto. Rossi had known Aaron long enough to know that nothing could shake him quicker than something not being right with his best friend. And that shook Rossi to, though for reasons that so far he had managed to keep from Aaron. Just the thought of what his long time friend would say if he knew just how much it shook him was enough to make him break out in a rare sweat.

Rossi slipped into Aaron's office and took a seat, happy to wait for Aaron to finish his verbal sparring with the poor fool that dared raise his ire. He managed to tune out the conversation as he went over the notes contained in the file in his hands. A new case had come up and Rossi wanted to seek Aaron's thoughts on the suspect before presenting it to rest of the team. The suspect this time was a peeping tom that had turned into a serial rapist. So far he had been linked to 5 attacks. His target women appeared to be in the age group of late 20's to early 30's, all professional workers, all living alone. Other than that, there appeared to be nothing that linked these women. Despite deep searching through records of every kind, Garcia had come up with nothing. That alone made the case all the more intriguing. There was nothing that was hidden to Garcia's computers. Rossi had just left the rather disturbed technical analysts office with her cussing still ringing in his ears. He smiled at the thought of the normally together Garcia letting loose on an unsub that dared believe they could hide from her. As he flipped through what material they had on the case, Aaron's sharp tone bought Rossi back to the conversation.

"Just because you call and tell me she is alright doesn't smooth things over" Aaron paused while the caller spoke. What he heard obviously wasn't calming though; Rossi noticed his clenched fist as he paced back and forward. What the hell was going on? "Listen, you just call out of the blue and tell me that my best friend was almost killed in a lab accident ..."

_What?!_ Rossi thought, fighting the urge to jump to his feet.

"...And then you tell me not to worry because she's OK and you guys are dealing with it. How the hell do you expect me to react?"

Rossi had to work hard to control his breathing. _Don't let Aaron see you worked up over this. He may suspect ... _Rossi looked up and saw Aaron looking at him, his face taut with concern, his phone call now over.

"Did you get that?" he asked.

Rossi tried to act nonchalant as he shrugged. "Some"

"Abby was doing a drug kit in her lab when she smelt almonds. She got out of the lab with about 3 minutes to spare"

Rossi schooled his face to remain calm, even as every muscle in his body clenched at the thought of Abby in danger. _Calm, __**must**__ be calm._

Aaron returned to his pacing, thrusting a hand through his hair. "NCIS called to let me know that she was ok, but only because they suspect that the crime scene they got the drugs from was a set up." Aaron paused and looked at Rossi. "A set up for Abby"

_Damn it all to hell_, Rossi thought as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Is she really OK?" he asked.

Aaron laughed. "You know Abby"

_Yes I do_, Rossi sighed inwardly. _If only I could tell you_.

Rossi rose to his feet as Aaron moved towards the door.

"I need to go and see her Rossi, need to make sure she is OK" He then noticed the file in Rossi's hand.

"A new case?"

"Nothing we can't handle on our own for a while," Rossi waved him out the door. "Go make sure Abby's OK"

Aaron nodded as he rushed out the door.

Rossi looked down at the file and frowned. How long before the team could get this case wrapped up? Quickly calculating a likely timeline in his mind as he entered his own office, he decided that his own visit to Abby could wait a couple of days. But a phone call couldn't.

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Abby knew without a doubt that the person knocking on her door was Aaron.

She knew that he would be demanding answers.

She sighed as she walked to the door.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Bursting into her home the moment she opened the door, Aaron let loose on a verbal firestorm that she had learned years ago would die out quicker if she said nothing. Venting was how Aaron got rid of the fear that tended to be generated when those he loved were in danger. After a few minutes of ranting, Aaron finally calmed down. Taking a deep breath he walked over to where Abby stood and took her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Princess" he whispered.

Abby smiled at the use of the pet name that only he was allowed to use. It had been a joke many years ago when Aaron had introduced Abby to a friend as "My Princess of Darkness" The name had stuck, and at times like this the use of it made her feel safer than a child curled up on her daddy's lap.

Kissing the top of her head, Aaron moved back and led her over to her sofa. Sitting with his arms still anchoring her to his side, he placed her head against his chest and asked her, "What happened?"

"The cocaine found at the scene was compromised"

"Why?"

Never one to waste words, Aaron always got to the heart of the problem. And he was far too good at what he did to believe the half truth she had told Gibbs earlier.

"I think Foyet is back"

She wasn't surprised by Aaron's lack of reaction. As one of the best profilers in the BAU and the lead investigator on the Foyet case, he had insight into Foyet that others simply couldn't hope to have. The only change in his demeanor that she detected was the slight hiccup his heartbeat made when she mentioned Foyet's name.

"Then you can't be here alone" he said simply.

"Aaron, I'm not going to hide from him. I can't live like that"

"Abby, you know as well as I do that this is a very sick, twisted man we're dealing with. There is no way I'm letting you stay alone"

The fact that he had automatically deemed they "they" were dealing with Foyet was a testament to their friendship. Neither ever had to ask for the others help, it was just a given that they would get it – wanted or not sometimes. This was one of those not wanted times.

Abby pushed away from him and got up from the couch. "I can't stay with you. You and Haley are still trying to work through what's left of your marriage"

"Doesn't matter" Aaron argued. "You are the most important person in my life Abby. I can't sit by and not do something"

She smiled. "I know, but I will not be forced to intrude. I would feel uncomfortable being in your home right now"

"Fine" Aaron sighed. "Then you can stay with someone else"

Abby laughed. "Who? Gibbs? McGee? Tony?"  
>Aaron looked ashen faced. "God, no, not DiNozzo!"<p>

"I'm fine here, Aaron"

Just as Aaron was shaking his head, trying to think of a way to convince his hard headed friend that he knew better, the lounge window smashed. A moment later an explosion rocked the room.

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"I got here as soon as I could" Rossi said, casting his eyes hurriedly around the room as he approached Aaron. "Where's Abby?"

"In her bedroom. She got hit by some flying debris. Paramedics are taking a look at her"

Rossi took a deep breath as Aaron led him to Abby's bedroom. The front room of the small bungalow was almost completely destroyed. The window area where the explosion had occurred was a hive of police activity. One cop took photo's while three others collected evidence. There were two other police agents going over the rest of the room looking for other evidence. Rossi suspected from the look of the damage that a crude Molotov cocktail or some other "dirty" bomb had been hurled through the window, no doubt thrown when the perpetrator had seen someone standing near the window. Of course, when police got round to canvassing the neighborhood they would find that no one had seen or heard anything. Such crimes happened with such speed that there was usually very little to witness. As Rossi followed Aaron into the small bedroom he schooled his features. The last thing Abby needed was another person wanting to save her from the world.

The sight that greeted him wrenched his heart though. Abby was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Her right cheek had a bad bruise; there was a cut above her right eyebrow and a gash on her jaw line. A paramedic was crouched in front of her shinning a light in her eyes and tracking their movement to ensure no head trauma had occurred. As Abby's eyes tracked back to the right of the room she caught Rossi's eyes and smiled sadly at him.

"It's not as bad as it looks" she whispered. Rossi was sure she was talking directly to him and that she hadn't been aware that the words had been said out loud. Aaron was the one to respond though.

"That's because you weren't standing right at the window. If you had been ..."

Rossi shuddered at the could have beens.

The paramedic stood and gave Abby a smile. "Your all clear ma'am. I've treated the cuts, some ice will take down the swelling, and you don't appear to have any head trauma; though I would recommend that you have someone stay with you tonight just in case"

Abby murmured her thanks as the paramedic packed his things up and left.

"Well," she laughed uneasily, looking at the two big men taking up her small space. "This has been quite an evening"

"Abby ... "Aaron started.

Abby shook her head and instead focused on Rossi.

"I'd offer you some coffee, but I have this little issue in the front room" she smiled.

Rossi couldn't help but smile back. Despite having her home in disarray, hurting from her injuries and a best friend who was chomping at the bit to lock her away for her own safety, she still managed a little sass.

"Abby" Aaron stated her name more firm this time.

Head down, eyes down, Abby turned to Aaron and whispered, "Not now. I just ... not now ..."

Aaron crouched in front of her and took her hands in his. "Sweetheart, I need you to listen to me. You are in danger. We both know what Foyet is capable of. Today he's shown that twice ..."  
>"You don't know Foyet was behind the cocktail" Abby argued. "There could be someone else annoyed at me. I do have other cases"<p>

"Anything that would cause someone to really act this way?" Rossi spoke up.

Abby looked up at him. "No" she whispered.

"Then what Aaron says holds true. Even if this isn't Foyet's doing you can't stay here; it's now a crime scene. You can't stay by yourself, the paramedic said so."

"But she can stay with you" Aaron stood.

"What?" Rossi asked. Had he really just asked him to look after Abby?

"Rossi, it's perfect. No one would think to look for her at your home. Why would they?"  
><em>Why would they indeed<em>? Rossi thought.

As the silence stretched, Rossi knew there was an upside and a downside to this, and they were identical. The upside? He got to spend time with Abby. The downside was the same. Spending time with Abby could prove to be too hard to handle. Still he wasn't about to let Abby be out on her own.

Despite Abby's protest, Aaron packed a bag for her and Rossi led her out to his truck.

Making sure she was safely strapped in, he listened to last minute instructions from Aaron regarding calling in every hour and staying out of sight. As Aaron then walked to his car, Rossi turned to Abby. His heart again turned over at the damage done but he had to smile at her continued spunk.

"You really don't need to do this Rossi"

"Aaron doesn't want you to be alone tonight" his voice brokered no argument. "You're staying with me, Abby"

"Great" Abby sighed, turning to look out the window as Rossi drove off into the night. "Like I haven't been traumatized enough today"

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter**** 4**

Tender, gallant, nurturing.

These were not words that most would associate with the great David Rossi. Mainly because he had learned early in his career that being abrasive, disciplined and focused got the job done quicker and cleaner. Emily Prentiss had once referred to him as a fussy neat-freak who never leaves anything out of place; even colour-coding his notes (blue pen for evidentiary items, red pen for supposition and theory) He was not run by emotions but was in fact prone to them. And when it came to Abby, his emotions could rage out of control.

As they entered the foyer of his home, she stopped and looked around.

"Not too shabby, Super Agent" she quipped.

He smiled to himself as he led her through to the spacious living area with a huge kitchen at the side. A large staircase wound its way to the second floor at the left of the living area. Looking up Abby noted that rather than disappearing to a hall as most second floors do, Rossi's second floor simply consisted on a mezzanine type area that seemed to house 3 more rooms and an open air library, which overlooked the living area. Itching to explore she wandered over to the island in the kitchen where Rossi stood pouring water into an old fashioned stove top kettle. He had watched her looking at his home and wondered what she was thinking. Too big? Too flashy? He was should have been amazed that what she thought mattered to him. But he wasn't.

"I need to call Gibbs" she said.

"Soon" Rossi answered coming out from the kitchen. "First, we get you safe and settled. I've put some tea on, so while it's brewing I'll show you where you're sleeping"

Rossi almost tripped when Abby murmured, "You mean I'm not sleeping with you?"

He looked back at her, gauging her reaction as he said, "Don't you think you're a little too young for me"

Abby burst into genuine laughter as she stepped forward and hugged him. Looking up at him she noted simply, "You're definitely not too old for me"

Rossi put his hands on her shoulders intending to push her away, but instead just held her in place. Leaning in close, he kept his gaze on her and noticed how round her eyes got when he moved even closer. Whispering in her ear, "What would people think?" he surrendered to the need to kiss her.

On the cheek. Like a friend would do.

"This way" he announced, turning from her and heading to the stairs.

Abby was left stunned, amused and speechless. As she followed Rossi up the stairs, she took note of his firm butt and smiled. The feeling she had been battling with since the day she met this man finally got its vindication. After so long of ignoring it, she now had to agree; she definitely had a major thing for Agent Rossi.

What _would_ people think indeed!

The room Rossi showed her was spacious and came with its own ensuite.

A large queen size bed dominated the room. The walls were a neutral cream colour and offset the dark wood trimmings to perfection. The headboard, side tables and wardrobe doors were also made of dark wood. Lamps adorned both side tables, and the main light was a chandelier made from a graceful waterfall effect of crystal glass. A bookcase adorned one wall while a vanity adorned the other. Two comfy armchairs were placed near the bookcase, close enough to the old fashioned fireplace that faced the bed. Abby tried to swallow. This was one of the most beautiful rooms she had been in. It could have been a penthouse suite straight out of a top quality hotel. She was itching to try the bed, but was aware of Rossi moving behind her, placing her bag in the wardrobe.

"The bathroom has a shower. My room is right next door. If you need anything just let me know. I'm going to check on the tea and start dinner."

One last look and he was walking out the door.

"Rossi" Abby called.

He turned.

"Thanks" she shrugged.

"Anytime" he smiled and closed the door after him.

Once he left Abby gave into the temptation and threw herself on the bed. She was immediately swamped by such soft comfort that she had to submerge the groan that almost escaped her. Before she got too comfortable, she pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and called Gibbs. She knew that he would have heard about the damage to her home and that he would now be furious that he had not been able to get hold of her due to her turning her phone off earlier that night. In fact she wouldn't be surprised if Gibbs was at her home arguing with Aaron right now.

She smiled as she waited for Gibbs to pick up. Her relationship with Gibbs may not be as close as her one with Aaron, but when Abby had noticed the looks that Rossi had been directing her way she was glad for Gibbs' strong shoulder and keen ear. He had listened to her bemoaning the fact that a decent guy had looked her way and she felt powerless to act on it because of the baggage she carried from Hunter's actions. Gibbs had listened and then advised her to get up and try again if she wanted a chance at happiness. He had also warned her about the rumours of Rossi's love life that circulated the FBI and had drifted down to NCIS. Gibbs liked Rossi enough, but if pressed he would say that he didn't trust him with Abby's heart. The legendary profiler needed to prove himself. Maybe Rossi thought he was keeping his cool, but Abby knew that he was nuts about her. And the dawning realisation that she was half way in love with him was something she really wanted to share with Gibbs. Of course, now wouldn't be the best time...

"Abby!" Gibbs startled her by yelling.

"Hey Gibbs. You'll never guess where I am"

"How about you guess where I am?"

"At my house"

"Your insight is amazing!"

"Don't be sarcastic Gibbs, that's my job"

"Abby! I'm standing in what used to be a perfectly good lounge, you're off somewhere and your best buddy here is chewing me out because of some drama that apparently I knew about ... and you want me to check my sarcasm?"

Abby had to give him that.

"Where the hell are you?!"

"If you would stop shouting I will tell you"

"Abby!"

She blew out a breath and quickly filled Gibbs in on the nights events, concluding with her guest room at Rossi's.

"You're staying at Rossi's?" Gibbs asked in a quieter tone, obviously not wanting others to hear him. "The FBI's resident Lothario? Are you insane?"

Ok, that was a bit rude, she thought.

"Gibbs, it's not like he's about to ravish me. Though, you know, if he tried..."  
>"Abby stop! That's an image I really don't need, especially when I would rather be throttling you for having your phone turned off. Do you know how mad I am right now?"<p>

"Gibbs" Abby used a soothing tone, "you're only mad because you got a scare. However, now that you know I'm okay you can go back to being your usual sunny self."

She could almost hear Gibbs' eyes rolling in his head.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he finally asked.

"I'm fine. Rossi has been the perfect host. His house is a dream. He's making tea and cooking dinner" After a beat she whispered, "Don't tell Ducky about the tea"

Gibbs laughed at that. The good doctors' love of tea was well known to the NCIS team, and given a chance Ducky would launch into an epic story about teas that would hold the listener captive for at least an hour.

"Come see me as soon as you get to the office in the morning. I want to see for myself that you're ok"

"Fine. I'll need to head back to my place after work tomorrow to collect some things"

"That should be ok. The police have finished up their work here. I'm meeting Aaron over at the BAU offices to go over this Foyet thing, see if there's a connection"

"I hope there isn't, but my gut tells me there is"

"We'll keep you safe Abby"

"I know" she whispered. "I have never doubted that"

"Good" Gibbs ended the call.

Abby took a moment to take stock of her situation as she lay on the bed. Foyet could be back in circulation, he may have targeted her, her best friend and her mentor were having a closed door meeting about the situation, she was staying under the same roof as Rossi, and the super hot agent was downstairs right now cooking her a meal.

Yep, she smiled as she rose from the bed, life sure was quirky.

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"I'll only be a few moments, Aaron. I'll meet you at your office and we can go to dinner from there"

"Maybe it would be better if I just picked you up from your place." Aaron replied, his voice muffled due to the odd angle Abby was attempting to hold her cell phone at while rummaging for her house keys.

"No. I told you, I will be a few minutes. The rate you're going I'll be at your office door before we even finish this conversation"

"Ok, Princess" Aaron said. "See you when you get here"

As Abby closed her phone she reflected on the last two weeks. Things had calmed down to the point that Abby herself wondered if her gut instinct had been off about Foyet. Aaron and Gibbs had drawn blanks in their unofficial investigation, Garcia had discovered nothing in her snooping that would even suggest that Foyet was lurking in the shadows, and the police had found nothing in her home the night the cocktail had been thrown through the window to indicate that it was anything more than a prank. Abby sighed as she pushed her key into the lock. She had spent four wonderful days under Rossi's roof and the two had struck up a deeper relationship. She had known him for a couple of years; Aaron had introduced them shortly after Rossi had come out of retirement to join the team. Abby had instantly been struck with the older profiler. They had gotten close enough to enjoy beer, pizza, and a movie at her home every month on a Friday night and their friendship was a comfortable, easy one. Living together for nearly a week had only enhanced that. But now Abby knew that Rossi wanted more, and she was a little worried that she may not be able to give him what he wanted. Nonetheless, she wasn't about to let her fear stand in the way of trying again. Just as Gibbs had told her to do.

She swore under her breath when the door refused to open. Turning the key again she shoved a little harder and finally the door budged. As she entered the small hall way she placed her work bag on the small table beside the door. Kicking the door closed and crossing to the mirror on the opposite wall, Abby took a moment to look at herself. She wouldn't have time to change for dinner, so what she had worn to work would have to do. The simple black pants and navy blue top would do fine. She and Aaron very rarely dined in fancy restaurants, preferring to eat in more Ma and Pa cafes. She smiled as she thought of her long-time friend. He had been a constant source of strength and encouragement to her many times in her life, but never more than these last couple of weeks. Not once had he questioned her feeling about Foyet. He had simply decided that Foyet had learned to hide a whole lot better than they expected.

A slight movement from the hall closet behind her caught her attention. As she continued to look in the mirror she saw a foot in the doorway of the closest, the door slowly opened ... and then nothing.

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	5. Chapter 5

_NOTE: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter. I have been super busy at work and haven't had tome to write (grr) I hope you enjoy this bit - it is shorter than I envisioned but the story is still rocking along :) Again, for those that are fans of the Gibbs/Abby pairing, I respect your feedback but please remember that this is my take on a different spin for Abby and Gibbs. I am a fan of the Gabby pairing but sometimes you need to mix things up a little. ENJOY!_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

The first thing Abby noticed when she slowly came to was the immense pain in her side and at her throat. This was accompanied by intense stinging sensations at various locations of her body. The smell of blood assaulted her senses. Her right eye wouldn't open properly and she felt fluid that tasted like blood trickle down her throat causing her to gag. Her first instinct was to call for help, but she discovered that her voice wasn't working. What had happened? Her thoughts were dazed and jumbled. She couldn't even recall where she was. She opened her left eye and looked around, trying not to move her aching body. Recognizing her hall ceiling, she took comfort in the fact that she was at least in her own home. But she knew she needed help. Something was terribly wrong. When she tried to roll to her right side the pain was so intense she cried out. At least that was what she hoped that sound was. She hated to think why her tortured throat was making her sound like a gurgling plughole whenever she tried to use her voice. Catching what she could of her breath, she rolled to her left side, and then onto her stomach. As she lifted her head she saw blood – everywhere. _What the hell?_ She thought as she tried to take stock of what was going on. _Phone, get to the phone! _As she dragged herself to the small kitchen she tried to think of how much time had passed. Had there been enough time for Aaron to worry and come looking for her? Would he just assume that she would meet him at the restaurant? How long before someone found her? As she painfully dragged herself along, Abby could feel the battle being lost. Her head felt light, her heart was pounding in her ears, she felt bile rising to the surface and her sight was become blurred and faded. As she looked at the phone, knowing she wouldn't reach it, her last thought was of Rossi and how she would never get to tell him that she loved him. "I tried" she whispered, as her head once again hot the cold, hard floor.

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><p>Aaron was a little annoyed as he pulled up outside Abby's apartment. He knew that she would get sidetracked by something and that they would end up running late for dinner. As much as he loved Abby there were times that he really wished she would be a little more focused outside her lab as she was in it. When she didn't show up at his office at their arranged time he didn't panic, he simply did what he always did, go to her. As he walked up the path he quite expected Abby to come bustling out the door all rushed and spouting excuses and apologies and her usual smile. But as he reached the door the silence hit him like a hammer. The fact that Abby was always surrounded by music meant that both her office and her home were a hive of tunes. It was rare to hear silence. Aaron knocked on the door. No answer, not a sound. Thinking that she may have already left and decided to go straight to the restaurant, he took out his phone and punched in her number. He turned from the door as his phone made the connection to hers. The ringing was what stopped him. The ringing that was coming from behind him. His training took over as he spun back towards the door. This time looking at the handle of the door he saw that the lock had been tampered with. Scratch marks gave a tell tale sign of someone breaking in. Dialing the number of the local police station he asked that a car be sent to Abby's address. He then took out his Glock and kicked the door in. Carefully he swept his gun from side to side as he quickly scanned the small hallway. There was no sign of Abby, but Aaron noticed her bag on the side table. He also noticed blood on the floor and the broken glass of the hall mirror also covered in blood. The mirror hung on a half wall that closed off the hall from the spacious lounge  kitchen area directly behind it. Aaron knew that Abby had had the "block" as he called it, added after she moved in so that there would be some privacy between the main area and the front door. The effect was quite stunning. Going to the left would lead him directly into the lounge area. Going to the right would take him into the kitchen. His heart dropped to his toes as he slowly moved toward the opening that lead to the kitchen area. He knew that blood meant more than one thing but he could only think of the worst thing right now. Abby had been hurt. Badly. As he slowly moved around the corner into the kitchen he noticed the blood appeared in a smeared line, as if someone had been dragged through the room. The phone on the breakfast bar had been tipped onto the floor. The silence was so prominent he could hear the disconnected signal coming from the receiver. Stepping around the breakfast bar and into the dining area, Aaron came to a heart wrenching stop. "Abby" he whispered, dropping to her side. She was on her stomach, her left leg bent at the knee, her left arm stretched above her head. In her right hand she clutched the receiver of the phone in a desperate attempt to call for help. Blood surrounded her. The area was grizzly, a crime scene, and Aaron knew that his training dictated he treat it as such. But his best friend was the one on the floor bleeding to death and training went out the window. He slowly and cautiously turned her over, shocked to see the knife wound to her throat. Blood was also escaping from a wound to her right side. Lacerations to her arms showed the fight she had put up. A sense of pride rushed through him at her feistiness at the same time that fear shattered his heart. She looked so pale, so cold. As he dialed for an ambulance he tried to find something to stem the flow of blood from her neck. A dishtowel was the closest thing he could reach. Bunching it over her throat, Aaron quickly relayed information to the emergency services. With their assurance that they would be there soon, he made a quick call to NCIS asking that Gibbs be advised of the situation. He then put his phone down and scooped Abby into his arms. Her eyes fluttered open. "Aaron?"

"I'm right here"

Her eyes fluttered closed again. Aaron panicked. "Stay with me Abby, stay with me" No response. "If you can hear me just squeeze my hand, ok?" A heartbeat later he felt a slight squeeze on his hand. "That's it baby, just keep squeezing"

As her eyes closed again Aaron uttered a prayer that help would arrive quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hi all_**

**_Sorry it's been a while. Work has been busy and I ended up using my Easter break to get this done :) This was a hard chapter to write because I had to rely on certain episodes and what they said (having no medical knowledge of my own and no time to research it ) I hope this wets your appetite for what's about to come - and I apologize again to those that prefer Abby to be with Gibbs - like I said at the beginning, I also love that pairing, but I wanted to explore something different. Enjoy and feel free to let me know your thoughts :)_**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 6<span>**

The hospital was a hive of activity. Smells and sounds assaulted Gibb's ears as soon as he entered the Emergency area. He stopped at the front desk, and showed the nurse his credentials.

"I'm looking for SSA Aaron Hotchner. One of my people was bought in ..."

"Yes sir, Agent Hotchner is waiting for you in"

Getting directions to the small waiting room outside the operating theater, Gibbs rushed down the long hall until he came across the door he needed. Inside was an assortment of overstuffed chairs, a couple of sofas long enough to stretch out on and a coffee table in the center of the room. In one corner was a tiny kitchenette with a dining table and chairs. Pacing the room was Aaron Hotchner.

Gibbs slammed the door closed and immediately got in the younger man's face. "What the hell happened!"

Aaron didn't flinch. He knew the only other person in the world to care about Abby the way he did was Gibbs. And he knew that if the situations were reversed he would be as mad as Gibbs was now. In fact, Aaron's anger went deeper than Gibbs' but only because he had been on the scene and knew first hand what had happened to Abby.

"She was late for our dinner date; I went to her apartment and found her on the floor. She's been stabbed and has multiple lacerations"

Gibbs barely blinked as he took in the information. "She fought?"

"You know Abby almost as well as I do Gibbs. What do you think?"

"Lacerations will be in a typical defence pattern and the assailant will probably have some bad injuries to him from her"

"She's still in surgery" Aaron continued his pacing. "My team have already been alerted and are starting a preliminary investigation"

"And what about my team? You expect us to sit back and let you guys grab this guy?"

"No Gibbs, I expect you to help. You have to know that your team is too close to this to be allowed to head the investigation"

"Oh I know how close I am to this Aaron. I also know that you know I am not going to step back. Abby is everything to me, and there is no way that I will be sitting to one side twiddling my thumbs"

"I don't expect you too. I need your help; it just can't be in an official capacity"

"Fine" Gibbs agreed. He walked to the kitchenette and started to make coffee.

"Are you serious?" Aaron laughed. "You're really going to drink that stuff?"

Gibbs shrugged, acknowledging his well known desire for coffee. "Right now anything is better than nothing"

The door suddenly burst open and both men turned to see Rossi enter.

He took in Gibbs at a glance and then focused on Aaron.

"What's going on?"

"She's still in surgery. Multiple stab wounds and lacerations. One major wound to her right hip and another to her throat"

Gibbs marveled at the way Abby's best friend and former lover could rattle off information pertaining to life threatening injuries in a clinical and calm manner. But then, he knew how ingrained training was to both FBI and NCIS agents. There was a point where you shut out everything else except the cold, plain, brutal facts. Sadly it was a case of the less emotion involved the better.

And with Abby, emotion was always right on the surface when it came to the three men currently in the room.

Gibbs knew, as he was sure Aaron did, that Abby had been sweet on Rossi from almost the day they met. It was only his reputation and her history that made her hold back. And yet Rossi, despite his lady killer past had been happy to wait Abby's fears out. For that alone he won a measure of respect from Gibbs.

Rossi ran his hands over his head. "Do the police have any leads?"

"Nothing other than they think it was a robbery. They believe Abby arrived home and interrupted him."

Rossi shook his head and collapsed into one of the chairs. Slumping forward he leaned his forearms on his knees and ran his hands over his face.

"Rossi?" Aaron knew his friend was holding something back.

"I asked her to go out with me last night, but she was pissed at me. Said she would rather go to dinner with you"

"This is not your fault" The level of empathy Gibbs felt for Rossi surprised him. But if this was who Abby had chosen he couldn't be happier for her. He knew Rossi was a sure shooter; there would be no doubt about his commitment to Abby. And Gibbs also knew that Rossi would go to the ends of the earth to protect her. Just what she needed right now.

Rossi looked up at Gibbs and smiled. "Thanks, I needed to hear that"

Gibbs sighed. "What do we do now?"

Aaron sat on one of the sofas. "Since my team are still doing their prelim investigation, all we can do is wait"

"And pray" Rossi added.

"I need to call my team and keep them updated" Gibbs quietly left the room.

"What didn't you tell him?"

Aaron looked over at Rossi and sighed. He shouldn't have been surprised that Rossi would pick up on the notion that Gibbs hadn't been told everything. He hadn't become one of the best in the business by guess work.

"I was with her Rossi. I'm no medic, but even the paramedics had looks on their faces that just ..."

Another heavy sigh "It doesn't look good"

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Thomas Gibson had been a surgeon for nearly 30 years and in that time he had repaired far too many bodies to count, from far too many different wounds to describe. Many he had helped save. Some he had not been able to. Yet none of them had fought for life the way the patient on his table now did. He had been informed of nothing but the bare facts; female found with multiple stab wounds, main injuries to right hip and the throat.

Assembled around the table were two nurses and another surgeon, Matthew Gray, whom Gibson was mentoring. At the head of the table was the anesthesiologist, keeping a close watch on the patient's blood pressure, temperature and breathing. At the start of the surgery it had been touch and go. So many injuries and so little time to deal with them before the woman went into shock or cardiac arrest. Right now, Gibson was attempting to seal off the tear to the muscle in her right hip in an attempt to stop the bleeding. While doing this he also kept an eye on his protégé who was working on the throat wound. He had all confidence in the younger man and his ability and therefore had no concern that he was working on what potentially could have been the worst of the two main injuries. While the two men worked they maintained a constant stream of talk, letting each other know what they were doing and more importantly what they were facing.

"Put direct pressure right here" Gibson told one of the nurses.

At the same time Gray was voicing concerns about too much bleeding and loss of time.

In among it all was the constant noise of monitors being watched by the anesthesiologist, who was worrying about the woman's heart rate.

"I can't find the bleeder" Gray suddenly announced.

"Another 750 out of the chest tube" a nurse informed.

"How's it getting there when she's bleeding up here?" Gray queried.

"Her pressure's dropping. 67 over 42" a warning came from the anesthesiologist.

"She's bleeding too quickly" Gray told Gibson.

"Okay, I'm closing up here" Gibson told him.

After a few moments of tense work, together they managed to stop the bleeding and repair the damage.

"Keep pressure on the artery while I tie her off" Gibson advised Gray.

Suddenly the monitors went crazy.

"She's flat lining" the anesthesiologist yelled.

"Charge to 2 and clear" Gibson's order came out calm and strong.

A mass of chaotic order suddenly hit the room as each person rushed to help bring the woman back from the brink.

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At the 3 hour mark Rossi was about ready to climb the walls. He had sworn to never feel anything for another woman again. Had managed to convince himself that his life of arrogance, higher intelligence and money was indeed better than love. Caring for someone had a bad habit of getting in the way of the things he needed to do – such as his job. All he had to do was look at Hotch's marriage to know that he had the better plan. Then he met Abby. A scrap of a woman with fire in her eyes, sass from the mouth and a heart too big to hold. And he had fallen. Hard. And forever.

He knew this was the woman he wanted for the rest of his life. The problem was that she was more jaded about love than he had ever been, and in some ways was more scared than most victims he had helped. He had known that he would have to use all his patience and rely on their friendship to help him make her see that he was the real deal. He had changed his mind about many things, and all because of her. Just a week ago Aaron had spoken with him about making his intentions clear to Abby. But Rossi had told him that despite being in love with her, he could not, would not do anything that may ruin their friendship. He could live without her love, but he couldn't live without her friendship. Aaron had then told him that Abby may be more receptive that Rossi may think. Though not giving away his best friends feelings, Hotch had given Rossi enough of a motive for him to rethink the waiting part.

And so he had planned a nice dinner after which he would tell her. But earlier that day they had a misunderstanding that put paid to those plans. Misunderstanding? Ok, a war of words. Rossi was worried that by refusing to have protection in the aftermath of the 2 attacks, Abby was exposing herself to a greater harm. He had been given an earful from Abby about how she didn't need a big bad former Marine to protect her and that she was quite capable of looking after herself. Rossi now shuddered at the thought of what had happened instead.

Now as he waited with Aaron and Gibbs, he couldn't shake the fear from his broad shoulders. Fear that he had almost lost his chance with Abby, and fear that when he took that chance she would reject him. Still, knowing was better than suffering, so he made a decision. As soon as Abby was able to process the thought, he would tell her about his love – and hope that she could love an old fool like him in return.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. A surgeon dressed in blue scrubs walked in, a chart in his hand, no emotion on his face.

"Agent Aaron Hotchner?"

"Yes" Aaron stepped forward, closely flanked by Gibbs and Rossi.

"Dr Thomas Gibson" the surgeon said, shaking the men's hands.

"There were two main wounds, one to her throat the other to her right hip. She has also suffered a fair amount of lacerations. She lost a lot of blood and it was touch and go for a while but we were able to repair the injuries"

"So what are you saying?" Gibbs spoke up.

Gibson smiled. "A few centimetres over and the knife could have torn right through her jugular. Instead the most she's looking at is a few months rehab on her right leg, and some skin grafts to cover the scarring up. She should be allowed to leave in a few days."

"Can we see her" Rossi asked.

The surgeon thought for a moment. "Well, she really needs to rest, but I can't see the problem with having one of you in there. After what she's been through she could use a friendly face to wake up to"

The three agents thanked the doctor as he left.

Aaron turned to Gibbs. "I need to be out looking for this guy"

"I hear you" Gibbs answered.

As the two walked to the door, Aaron stopped for a moment near Rossi, who was still staring after the surgeon.

"You should stay with her"

When Rossi looked up, perplexed, Aaron smiled. "You heard the doctor. She'll need a friendly face to wake up to. I know it won't be my face she'll want to see first"

As Aaron walked out after Gibbs, Rossi got the message. Abby must have mentioned something to Aaron during that frightening time between her home and the hospital. Something that made Aaron happily relinquish his right to be by his best friends side.

Rossi's mind soared with hope as he made his way down the corridor to the room of the owner of his heart.


	7. Chapter 7

_**So sorry it has taken so long guys. I am not stuck for ideas just stuck for time. Please remember that I wanted something different for Abby and that's why rossi has entered the picture (I know many prefer the Gabby storylines, but creativity is all about doing new stuff right?) I hope you enjoy this "rushed" chapter :)**_

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><p>Rossi didn't know if it was the choking, gasping sound that woke him or the instant knowledge that something was not right with Abby.<p>

The moment his eyes opened, though, he could see something was wrong.

Abby was gasping for air; pulling at the tube the surgeon had put down her throat to aid her breathing. In her struggle she had also managed to dislodge the IV from her right hand. Blood spurted from the wound and dripped onto her hospital gown as she continued trying to dislodge the tubing.

In a split second Rossi had the situation accessed and was at her side. Pushing the call button at the head of her bed to summon the nurses, he quickly grabbed her hands and held them to his chest, hoping to give comfort as he spoke firmly to her.

"Abby, stop. You're going to hurt yourself. Abby"

Her head started thrashing from side to side in an attempt to continue to dislodge the tube.

Rossi held both her hands in one of his. With the other he softly stroked her cheek.

"There is a tube in your throat Babe. It's helping you breath. Be calm."

He continued talking soothing words and she eventually calmed down. By the time the nurse arrived with Dr Gibson, Abby was still. One would have thought her asleep but for the tears that leaked slowly from her eyes. Rossi wiped them clear before facing Gibson.

"She was trying to get the tube out"

Gibson nodded as he quickly assessed his patient. "That's a natural reaction. People are often disorientated when they first come to after surgery."

After looking at Abby's throat wound and asking the nurse to reapply the IV, Gibson turned to Rossi with a smile.

"She will wake up a little easier next time. I will check on her again in the morning, at which point we will probably have the tube removed for her."

Gibson's knowing eyes watched as Rossi moved towards the bed and took Abby's hand in both of his.

"I can arrange to have a cot bought in for you" When Rossi looked up at him, Gibson smiled warmly. "It's a lot better than sleeping in that old chair"

Rossi nodded his thanks, but barely noticed when the surgeon left the room. His entire focus was on Abby.

She looked so pale and so wounded. It was all he could do not to take her in his arms and hold her tight. Instead he settled for stroking her brow, rubbing her fingers and kissing her hand.

Leaning over he whispered in her ear, "Please don't leave me"

The nurse, making notes on the chart at the foot of the bed, suddenly looked up at the monitor beside the bed.

"Wow" she mused, watching the patterns of the heart and pulse rate slowly regulate from their previously agitated state.

"What" Rossi asked, worried something else was about to go wrong.

Instead the nurse smiled at him. "It would seem that you have quite the calming effect on her"

As the nurse left the room, Rossi allowed himself a small sigh of relief. He settled back into the chair and kept watch over Abby, not even moving when an orderly came in with a bed for him.

* * *

><p>The case was moving along far too slowly for Aaron's liking. True to his word he had kept Gibbs in the loop and had meet with him numerous times to discuss strategy. He had arranged for Gibbs to be allowed to go to the crime scene with him, and had watched with empathy as the older man suppressed a shudder at the amount of blood stains strewn through the small apartment. Gibbs being Gibbs though, the only thing from his mouth was a sensible, "She won't want to stay here anymore"<p>

As the two walked through the area of the attack moments of that night came flashing back to Aaron. Standing in the centre of her kitchen he couldn't help but see her as he saw her that night; face down, bleeding, one arm stretched out to the phone trying to get help. What if he had been a little later? What if he had decided to just go straight to the restaurant? What if he had …

"Don't do it" Gibbs said sternly.

Aaron looked up and realised his thoughts must have been reflective.

"Don't second guess yourself. We all knew Foyet was out there and that he wanted to get to Abby. No one is solely to blame for this but him. Got it?"

Aaron had to smile at the NCIS agent's direct yet simple logic. Of course he was right. Arguing with himself over what he could or didn't do that night would not help Abby. He had to stay focused on Foyet.

"Your right" he said, turning to walk to the other side of the room.

"Of course I am" Gibbs shrugged. "By the way, you look like hell"

"Thanks. I feel like it" Aaron picked up a photo of himself and Abby. It had been taken when they had still been dating at some party they had attended. It was her favourite photo of the two of them, and now it had her blood smeared across the cracked glass. He slipped it into a plastic bag making a mental note to have the photo repaired and reframed. "Four days with no leads. No one saw anything, the ones that heard something all thought it was just a domestic, and the ones that may have seen Foyet in the area are too confused by what they think they saw to be sure enough to pick him out of a photo line up. It's just frustrating to know that he had to be the one who attacked her and having nothing to grab him on. Worse is the not knowing where he is now"

Gibbs murmured his agreement. "Even Abby won't be sure of who it was that jumped her. Judging from the speed he had to have attacked, all she would have got was a quick look at someone in the mirror before her head went through the glass." Gibbs' gloved fingers lightly touched the glass of the mirror as he spoke.

He looked up as Aaron approached. "Do you think we should get this fixed for her?"

Shaking his head, Aaron walked to the door. "I doubt she will want much of anything here now"

* * *

><p>It had been nearly a week since Abby had been attacked.<p>

Aaron knew the case had stalled, but he hadn't expected Foyet to go down easily. No one at NCIS or the BAU had expected that. Still, the lack of leads and the stagnant trail had everyone on edge. This was personal to all of them. Foyet had targeted one of their own and emotions were screaming to be let loose.

This was a trying time for all of them, and yet they had all managed to bury those emotions and deal with the case as they would have any other. Of course it helped that Reid kept reminding everyone that the chances of them catching Foyet if they allowed their emotions to get in the way were some significant number that Aaron now forgot. Every the fountain of information, Reid had nonetheless been doubly affected by Abby's stabbing. He and Abby had enjoyed a close friendship, one of those friendships that really shouldn't work on the surface just because they were so different. Yet, beneath the surface they were quite the same. Both were shy, trusted too easily and just looking for someone to hang onto when the storm crashed in on their lives. It was those traits in their characters that had become the foundation of their friendship. Well, according to Reid, that and the fact that Abby was the only woman he knew that understood Star Trek as well as him.

Aaron smiled as he walked into Abby's room, intent on getting Rossi to go and sleep a proper sleep rather than the cat napping he had been doing for the last week. If there had been doubts in his mind about Rossi's commitment to Abby, his actions over the past week had certainly put paid to that. Rossi had not once left her side and knew everything about her condition and the ongoing care that she would need. The fact that he had watched on as the nurses had changed her bandages would freak Abby out, but it would also tell her that he wasn't going away. Only a man that was in deep would stick around for the yuk moments – as Abby once called those terrible moments in life that tested a relationship.

So Aaron was surprised when he walked into the room and saw Abby was alone. No Rossi.

She beamed at him with a smile that reached his heart. At his raised eyebrows over the missing Rossi, she laughed huskily. "The nurse made him go and get real coffee rather than the vending machine stuff. Of course only after she assured him that I wouldn't vanish into thin air. I think she was worried he may be taking root in that chair"

"Oh he's taken root somewhere" Aaron countered with his on smile. Leaning down to kiss her forehead, he lingered a moment to hug her gently. Despite having made somewhat of a miracle comeback, there was no denying that she was still very fragile.

"Aaron"

"Mmmm"

"I think I might be at risk of falling in love again"

Aaron smiled knowingly.

"I mean it's silly really. I feel like I'm in a Maya Banks novel..."

"Maya Banks?"

"She writes these very sexy books about men and women and ... stuff..."

Aaron smiled at Abby's sudden blush. He knew the kind of books Ms Banks wrote and was bemused by Abby's admission of having read through one or two of the steamy romps.

"Anyways, her hero and heroine tend to fall for each other right away. I mean stuff like that just doesn't happen – right?"

Without waiting for Aaron to reply, she steam rolled on in true Abby fashion, trying to get all her thoughts out at once.

"But, I feel like ... I don't know ..."

Aaron smiled. "You smile more when he's around. When he walks in you light up. Your eyes always seem to search him out if you're in the same room together. And you both have this connection that has managed to overcome your differences. Age, education, status - everything"

Abby leaned back on her pillow and smiled. "You understand"

"I do. I also understand that if he does anything to hurt you I will hurt him. However I will give him the benefit of the doubt simply because he makes you smile. And all I want is for you to be happy"

Abby mused for a moment. "He doesn't know"

Aaron smiled. "Oh I think he knows more than you think. Rossi has been crazy about you from the moment he saw you"

"No Aaron" Abby smiled sadly. "I wasn't meaning Rossi. I meant Gibbs"

"Gibbs?"

"I always nursed this idea that he would be the one. But let's face it, he will never see me as anything more than a firend, a muse or even a surrogate daughter. He will never look at me with the heat in his eyes that Rossi has when he looks at me"

"Gibbs?" Aaron asked again. "You seriously mean to tell me you have been crushing on Gibbs?"

Abby laughed. "And you thought you knew everything about me"

"Well, I learnt two things about you today my sweet" Aaron smiled. "You like to read a little S&M and you seriously dig older men"

Abby laughed so hard her ribs hurt, and Aaron smiled at the joy in her eyes. Life was back there, shinning out for him to see. He actually felt light at heart, almost like things were going to be ok.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Don't forget to give me your feedback, critic or ideas :)<strong>_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi Readers:_

_Sorry it's been a while - I changed jobs and everything had to be put on hold! So now I have a shorter chapter than I wanted but I am keen to get this story going again as it's been "haunting" me! LOL Hope you are all still enjoying it, I've loved hearing from you too!_

_Thanks_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

A month had passed and they still had no solid leads on Foyet. For a man who had wanted to make a statement so bad he had sure disappeared just as well.

Gibbs stared at the legal pad sitting in front of him. He was expected to fill out a standard report as to where the investigation by the BAU had gone and how NCIS had been aiding them. Fact of the matter was there was very little he could put on paper. 4 weeks and nothing to show for it except Abby's medical report and the scars she now bore. Gibbs ground his teeth in frustration. Every time he looked at Abby now all he saw was her fighting for her life. Her recovery had been remarkable and watched over closely by Rossi. Once she had finished rehab on her hip, Aaron had taken her under his wing and run through strengthen exercises with her. She had slowly built the strength in her right side back up to almost 100% and Gibbs knew that she and Aaron still jogged every morning before getting to the office.

Abby would be returning to work in just a month and was trying her hardest to act like nothing had happened. But Gibbs knew her well enough to know that it was an act. He knew that she was having nightmares, got scared at the slightest loud noise and was terrified of people approaching her from behind. The fact that she was struggling made Gibbs all the more determined to get Foyet – no matter what. He knew he had Aaron's backing. The two of them had spent time chasing down leads and tips while Rossi took care of Abby. Gibbs now had no qualms about Abby and Rossi. It was obvious that the older agent was ruined for all other women. No other women existed as far as Rossi was concerned. And Abby had learned that despite Rossi's Lothario past he could settle down with one woman. Gibbs was happy for them. He was glad that Abby had found someone who understood her and cared for her the way that he did. The fact that Rossi was 15 years her senior had him wondering though. A lot of what ifs had sailed through his head. Like what if he had just taken the bull by the horns and told Abby how he felt years ago, before Abby met Rossi. Maybe things would have worked out for them, maybe they would be married and maybe there would have been kids. Gibbs shook his head. He didn't want to do the marriage and baby's thing again. And yet Abby had always been the woman that would have tempted him to try again; he just never let her know it. And now she had Rossi. They were happy and he had to leave it alone. Still he couldn't help the questions. Foyet proved to be a distraction and he was damned sure that he would find the man.

Tired of trying to write a report he didn't have words for, Gibbs got up from his desk, turned off his lamp and headed home for another lonely night.

* * *

><p>Abby lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Her body was exhausted but her mind refused to take the hint and sleep.<p>

She and Aaron had looked at 3 apartments after he'd finished work. All of them were nice but lacking something and Abby couldn't put her finger on it.

She was glad that Rossi had agreed to let her stay with him for as long as she needed. It had been interesting living with the man who had proven all her fears about getting involved with someone again wrong. All the barriers she had put up had slowly come down. She was almost as comfortable with him as she was with Aaron – and that was a huge deal that Rossi hadn't taken lightly. They had fallen into a routine that was simple and very domesticated. So homely that it almost scared her – and she was a homebody at heart. At night Rossi would cook while she sat and regaled him with stories of apartments she and Aaron had seen. And while she vented about not finding the perfect place, Rossi would murmur his sympathy and always remind her that she was more than welcome to stay with him. They had become so comfortable together that she had even opened up about her past disaster in love, Abby strangely comforted by the fact that Rossi had seen enough domestic abuse cases to know exactly what to say without sounding pretentious or making her feel idiotic.

At night, sitting side by side in front of the fire, watching TV and playfully arguing over the details of whatever movie they were watching, Abby would sometimes look at Rossi and she could swear she saw the future right there in his smile. She nursed a little hope in her heart that this feeling could last forever, but in reality she knew that Prince Charming would one day wake up and realise that the woman in front of him was damaged goods and nothing like the Princess he had thought.

Now as she lay in the bed in his spare room she wondered when she would be able to be normal again. Would there ever be a time when she didn't jump at her own shadow, be fearful of people closing in on her, or even being alone at night.

Sighing, she rolled over, sure that she would never be able to sleep now. And yet her eyes did drift closed, her mind conjured up an image of Rossi, and her body settled in for yearned for rest.

It didn't last long though. The nightmare again awaited her. She was looking in the mirror in her hall as she had been that fateful night. The closet door behind her had caught her eye. In the reflection of the full length mirror she had seen that it was partially open, and she was sure that she had closed it that morning. The toes of the man's shoes peeking out had distracted her long enough for the door to come flying open. Before she knew it she was watching her face crash into the mirror.

"Abby, baby"

Abby opened her eyes still caught in the horror of her dream. She shoved at the hard body trying to still her.

"Abby" The sweet tone in her ear calmed her. Her eyes focused on the face she loved and she sighed.

"It was only a nightmare" she said. "I'm alright"

Rossi let her go long enough to move the covers back. Deftly moving her over he climbed in beside her then curled her against his side. Her head automatically rolled to his chest.

"I'm afraid to fall asleep again" she whispered after a moment. "It's silly"

"No, it's not" His voice was as gentle as his touch. "I'll stay with you – if you want me to"

Abby thought for just a moment. The comfort of another human would definitely keep the nightmare at bay – and it didn't hurt that the one she was cuddled up to was built of muscle and feared nothing.

"Stay" she said softly.

She once again managed to drift off to sleep, but wasn't bothered by the dream. Once or twice she awoke and saw the outline of Rossi's body. There was comfort in sleeping with him; she had a sense of being utterly protected by him.

She slept deeply, safe in the knowledge that Rossi would allow no harm to come to her; from outside or from within.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

After so long looking for Foyet he ended up becoming remarkably easy to find.

A case of over the counter medication being substituted for something else had led JJ to thinking the same could be done for Foyet's medicines. He had done a lot of injury to himself during his original string of killings in an effort to paint himself as a victim and throw investigators off his trail. Because of this he was on a large number of strong medications.

Penelope searched a list of drugs he was on and narrowed it down to Tapazole. Thankfully there was no substitute for this drug and this was the glimmer of hope that was now causing excitement in the Conference Room.

Around the table sat Derek, Spenser, JJ and Aaron. All eyes were on Penelope as she furiously worked her fingers across the keyboard of her laptop, searching for a smaller search grid in order to find someone who may be Foyet.

To help her, the team fired off ideas to narrow the search:

"He's a narcissist in love with his own mythology so he wouldn't have stolen someone else's identity."

"He'd use a name connected with the case"

"A victim, maybe. A cop…"

Reid suddenly stood and walked to the board in the corner of the room.

"He likes things to have meaning to him."

"Like an anagram or something?" Derek asked

As Reid started writing things on the board, circling some letters and ruling out others, Aaron asked "Do you see something?"

"Not yet" Reid sighed.

"Wait" Aaron stepped forward. "He named himself The Reaper"

Reid wrote that on the board, circling more letters and finally underlining a name.

"Peter Rhea"

Penelope almost squealed in excitement. "There's a Peter Rhea in Arlington!"

Reid turned and looked at a relieved Aaron. "We got him"

* * *

><p>Unaware of the action happening in the BAU room, Abby had arrived in her lab to start work for the first time since the attack. She had sailed through the main bullpen and the endless rounds of "Welcome Back Abby" "How are you doing" "If you need anything..." What she needed was to get back to normal and here in her lab she felt like she was close to that. Rossi had dropped her off at the front entrance of NCIS with a kiss and an assurance that he would be just a call away if she needed him. Knowing that he was staying in the office that day rather than jumping in on the hunt for Foyet was a soothing balm to her tired soul. She wasn't the kind to shrug off the fact that she needed help. She knew that she was now a changed woman. What made it bearable was the fact that she still had Gibbs, Aaron and Rossi behind her. Rossi had made it clear that he didn't see her any differently and though it meant he often had to sit her down and reiterate that, especially in moments of self doubt, Abby was smart enough to know that he meant what he said. With a happy sigh she picked up Bert and gave him a hug. The farting noise gave her a sense of calm and balance – something that no one else seemed to understand. Almost everyone had their version of a security blanket though, and Bert was Abby's. Well, Bert and Rossi, she amended as she turned to the job at hand. First job of the day was to analyse some blood evidence that had been collected from the home of a Petty Officer that had been beaten to death. Nice way to go, she thought as she bought up the blood work on one of her computers. After entering the data that was known to be of the victim she ran a programme that would identify any blood in the samples not belonging to the victim. Chances were that this blood would be of the attacker. Having set that in motion, Abby turned to her second computer and brought up photos of the crime scene. Hoping to zero in on anything that looked out of place or other types of evidence that may have been overlooked by a non forensic investigator, she lined up 6 different photos and hit the zoom button. Looking away from that screen she then turned back to the first to check the progress on the blood testing.<p>

It all happened in a split second. Looking back later, she would not be able to pinpoint the moment that she had felt the earth shift beneath her. As she turned to look back at the now enlarged photos, everything changed. All at once she felt a darkness fall over her in a sudden hit. Her eyes were still on the enlarged photos but they focused on one photo in particular. Black shoes, the tips only visible from a closet with its door half closed. Blood on the tips of those shoes. She was transported back into her nightmare. A band of emotion squeezed her chest so tight she couldn't breathe.

_Shoes. A closet. Blood. Mirror. A knife. Pain._

The urge to flee was so strong she was moving before she realised she had taken a step.

She willed the elevator to hurry, dashed through the bullpen, and into the elevator that would take her to the main entrance. Once there she kept moving, despite having no clear idea on where she was going. She just knew she had to move, get away from the pictures, away from the recall she was suffering. Putting her hands to the sides of her face in an attempt to block out the memories she ran through the streets, blind to anything she passed.

It seemed like she had run for an eternity when she stopped outside the BAU's offices.

As she entered the offices she realised she hadn't been running to something, she'd been running to someone. Rossi. To those strong, caring arms. The same arms that had held her through all the pain of the last few months, all the therapy, all the medication complications, all the nightmares, and all the fear and doubt that had assailed her. He was the one who could and would protect her from her demons.

As she entered the BAU's bullpen she saw Rossi walking back to his office reading a file. He was on the landing outside his and Aaron's offices. She walked up the ramp leading to the landing and merely whispered his name in relief. He heard her though and turned. His arms automatically opened, and when she reached them, they wrapped around her and held her tight. A sense of safety immediately entered her and only then was she able to breathe again.

"What is it, Sweetheart? What happened?"

Against his chest she felt the rumble of his voice, heard the beating of his heart, smelt the musk of his scent. She turned her face to his chest and simply inhaled, glad to be able to draw breath without feeling like she was drowning.

Rossi called on his years of training in order to not panic at the situation he now faced. He knew Abby had been frightened, had been able to see it in her eyes the moment he turned and saw her walking up the ramp. He also could take an educated guess that she had suffered a panic attack. What he didn't know was what had bought it on and how he could make it better for her. His main concern was to get her into his office, so prying eyes didn't make her more embarrassed.

Gently he moved her to his side and walked her to the couch against the wall of his office. Sitting her down, he walked to the door and closed it. He then took a throw rug that Penelope had knitted for him, and wrapped it around Abby's trembling shoulders. Sitting beside her he anchored her to his side and softly kissed her the top of her head, content to just hold her until she was ready to talk.

_Aw, babe. What's happened? _

As a profiler he knew how to take stock of things immediately, process information in a manner that meant he was able to deal with the important first and prioritise the rest for later action. He had used this ability many times over the last 4 months. Abby's recovery had been the utmost important thing in his life, but there were many times when he had had to remind himself that his sheer strength and will just weren't enough to make it all better for her. No amount of money he could throw at the problem would make it vanish. Abby had to stand on her own two feet, as she had always done, and while he may have preferred to do all the work he knew that would just diminish her fiercely fought for independence. At the end of the day it was that independence that had ultimately drawn him to her. She was unlike all the other women he had been with. She wanted and needed nothing from him, she had made her own way in the world and would continue to do so with or without him. An independent woman was something to behold, especially to an old school man like him. But it was an education that he was enjoying, even though moments like this rattled him. Moments when Abby simply clung to him, depending on him to keep her safe until she found her solid ground again.

It didn't escape his attention that she was keeping her face averted from him, that she twisted his shirt between trembling fingers, both somewhat protective measures. From years of studying human nature he knew that averting her face meant that if he couldn't see her terror then it didn't exist outside her head. Which was a complete contrast to the twisting of his shirt. An easily spotted sign of nerves. From the clues before him Rossi knew that Abby would be embarrassed at her break down, and maybe even her dependence on him. Rather than feeling disgruntled at this, he instead formulated a plan on how best to deal with a post panic attack Abby. He had to smile a little. Sometimes being a profiler was a great advantage – especially when dealing with women.

* * *

><p>Now that the terror had passed exhaustion covered her body. But before she would give in she had to do something.<p>

Abby could almost hear the wheels turning in Rossi's head. She knew exactly what he was thinking too. She knew that he was formulating a plan on how best to deal with her now the storm was over. Profilers think they are so smart, she smiled. What Rossi didn't know was that Abby had had a watershed moment during this panic attack. The fact that she had run to him with no thought of anything else was all the answer she needed about her and Rossi.

Now was the time to let him know that he didn't know everything. She hid a smile as a shiver of anticipation flowed through her. It had been so long since she had felt this alive!

Moving slowly, she twisted herself so that she was facing towards the back of the couch. Still in Rossi's embrace she put her hands on his cheeks, stroking them and gazing into his eyes. Smiling slightly she leaned in and kissed him. Everything she felt flowed through that kiss, hoping that he felt what she was trying to communicate. When his arms tightened around her and his mouth responded, her heart gave a leap for joy. A little more maneuvering enabled her to fall back on the couch. Rossi had no choice but to follow. His surprised look almost made her laugh. Instead, she kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, "I love you Dave Rossi"

For a heartbeat there was silence. Then Rossi took her hand, kissed her palm and noted simply, "It's about time you told me"

The rest of what he had wanted to say would have to wait. Right now all he wanted was Abby in his arms, kissing him and making him feel like he could topple mountains with his bare hands. As the passion became more urgent, and clothes started hitting the floor, Rossi was grateful that he had locked the office door and that, now the morning briefings would have been done, the office would mostly be empty for the next few hours. And that meant the he and Abby could simply loose themselves in a world of their own making.

* * *

><p>Abby was sure she would never feel the same again. She had often heard women joking about the sexual prowess of older men. At least she had thought they had been joking. Until now. Stretching limbs that were now regaining feeling in the aftermath of their lovemaking, she turned on her side to lie across Rossi's chest. A position that was quickly becoming her favorite. One of his hands stroked her hair; the other stroked her lower back. She glanced up at him. Seeing his eyes closed but knowing he was fully awake, she peppered kisses across his chest. Her intent disappeared though when she recalled what he had said to her before she had gotten sidetracked.<p>

"You love me" she wondered aloud.

At Abby's frown, he smiled. "I have wanted to tell you the same thing for months, but I figured with everything else going on I could run the risk of scaring you off. So I figured the best thing to do would be to wait for you to catch up a little"

Abby beamed up at him. "You think you're so smart"

Rossi laughed "Oh no, not when it comes to you." He leaned down and kissed her again, then lying with her in his arms he mused, "I wonder what you would say if I asked you to marry me?"

Abby leaned over him. "Are you serious? We haven't even dated."

"The heart wants what it wants, Abby. And until now, you had no idea that I've been in love with you from the day I met you all those years ago."

Abby thought for a moment. "You are the first person aside from Aaron and Gibbs who hasn't given up on me"

"I'm not going anywhere Abs"

"I'm afraid. I have baggage"

"I already figured that out. But we can deal with that the same way we have dealt with these last few months; together"

Abby grew silent again.

"Talk to me babe"

Abby sighed and snuggled closer to him, once again swamped by the rightness of being this close to him. She could have this forever, he was offering her that. But ...

"I can't help but think you will be getting the raw end of the deal. I can't .. I'm sorry .. I'm just ..."

As her voice broke, Rossi simply held her tighter.

"It's ok babe. You just let me know when you are ready."

"Don't leave me"

"I won't. I'm not going anywhere. I won't let you down"

Abby sniffled and raised tear stained eyes to him. "Maybe I'll be the one to let you down. I'm broken, Rossi"

"Then we'll put you back together again. Shush, baby" he rocked her. "I'm a great fixer. You wait and see"

* * *

><p><em>Hope your all still enjoying the ride. There is more to come but it may shake a few readers up - hang in there :)<em>

_Sas_


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry about the wait. I suddenly had this huge twist to the story enter my head but it didn't reveal itself too well until I really started writing it down. It started out as ideas and became another 2 chapters LOL. And then I realised that this chapter wasn't completed or posted so I had to redo this as well. Hope you enjoy - the twist my surprise some...but that's a little later :)_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 10<span>

"Swat's getting antsy" Emily informed Derek.

The agent sighed in frustration. It had been a share stroke of luck that they had found this address. Derek didn't want anything to go wrong. He looked around at the others gathered with him. Reid, Emily, Tim and Tony. Behind them was one of the best Swat teams in town. They were located in an upper level warehouse no longer in use. Across the road was their target; Foyet's apartment building. The only problem was that in the 3 hours they had been watching, nothing had happened.

"These guys are trained to move" Tony noted, "not sit around"

Derek knew the NCIS agent was right. He scrubbed a hand over his head. "The longer we sit here the longer Foyet has a chance to escape"

"I think I know what we can do" Tim mused.

A few minutes later Tim was knocking on Foyet's door. "Super" he announced. When there was no answer he knocked again. "Super. We got a leak downstairs. I have to check your mains"

Still no reply. Tim crouched down at the door and opened the small carry case at his side. From it he extracted a fibre optic type tube with a camera installed at the end. Sliding it under the door he spoke to those listening in.

"Are you getting the signal?"  
>"Copy" came Derek's reply<p>

"Way to go Mcgeek" Tony enthused "I knew those silly little toys of yours would come in handy one day"

Emily smiled at the banter between the two NCIS agents. Tony was what she deemed a peacock; showy and colorful, but a heart of gold and a man really just looking for his soul mate. She had to admit that she liked the man. Maybe a little too much, she decided as she caught Tony's just as interested look from across the table. Smiling a little she focused back on the conversation between Derek and Tim.

"Looks like a kitchen table, chair"

"Is that a laptop on the table?" Derek asked "It could be useful"

"Wait, go back" Emily suddenly said.

As the camera came back towards the door, Emily pointed to the screen. "Look at that"

Tony frowned. "He's dropped his mail there"

Derek suddenly yelled to the Swat team, "Go, go, go, go"

* * *

><p>As they looked through the apartment their hearts sank.<p>

"What happened?" Tim asked

"He's not coming back here" Emily told him. "He left his food untouched"

"You drop your mail like this when you're startled," Tony added "when you need to get out of dodge quick"

Emily nodded. "Something tipped him off"

Derek came out of the bedroom. "Suitcases are open, some clothes are missing. There's a safe with a stash of guns in it. He didn't even bother to lock it"

"If he's in a hurry," Reid reasoned, "he'll start making mistakes"

"Yeah" Tony sighed "but when this guy gets cornered he starts killing again"

"We're not going to let that happen" Emily told him.

Derek picked up the laptop. "We need to get Garcia onto this"

* * *

><p>"This guy is creepy good" Garcia announced as she frantically hit buttons.<p>

"How good?" asked Tim watching in amazement and a little admiration.

"He's wiped his hard drive. He may have been in a hurry to leave but whatever was on there he did not want us to see it.

"Gibbs says you're the best he's seen at this stuff" Tim revealed.

Garcia smiled in affection for the gruff NCIS agent. She had long been friends with Abby and knew that she held a secret love for the much older man but would never let on to it. Though Garcia, and she suspected Aaron, could see it coming from both sides.

"So tell me that you can rebuild it"

"Watch me work darling" she smiled up at him.

Tim felt a slight tug at his heart. Garcia was definitely not the kind of person one assumed would be an FBI analyst. She was open, warm, funny, had a heart of gold, and freakishly good at what she did. She was also one of the most colourful characters he had ever come across. And he liked her. Alot. And he knew the feeling was mutual. He smiled to himself. When this was over...

"Oh wow"

Tim snapped to attention. "What have you got?"

Garcia frowned as she continued to move her fingers like lighting across the keys. "He had an internet alarm on the name Peter Rhea. It alerted him as soon as we ran that check on it"

"Damn it" Tim sighed.

* * *

><p>Rossi thanked the waitress for the topped up coffee with a gleaming smile.<p>

As Abby finished her pancakes, topped with berries and maple syrup and a side of sliced banana, she watched Rossi eat his serving of bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast. She smiled and wondered how he could eat such a calorie loaded meal and yet still be in tip top shape.

Catching her looking at him, he paused and winked.

"I have a favor to ask" Abby said "I want you to teach me some basic moves to defend myself"

Rossi slowly put his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. As he twisted his coffee cup on the table he asked "Why"

"This is me being proactive, Rossi. I want to be able to walk to the grocery store without jumping at shadows"

A thousand replies flooded Rossi's mind, all of them involving him being there as she walked to the store. But he knew that she needed her independence, needed to feel like she could do things for herself and by herself again. This was one of the things that had first attracted him to her, and because of that he would do what he needed to to ensure that she was able to have that independence again.

"Let me talk to Aaron and Derek and see what I can organize for you"

Abby smiled and graced his cheek with a kiss. "Thanks" she smiled.

* * *

><p>A few days later Abby entered the FBI gym and met with Aaron and Derek. Rossi had opted to observe rather than get involved. He told the guys that he thought Abby would take training better from them rather than him. As he took a seat in the bleaches on the far wall he watched as Abby approached the two agents.<p>

"Hey hot stuff" Derek joked, immediately putting her at ease.

Aaron quickly explained that he and Derek would demonstrate some basic take down moves and then she would get to try them.

As Abby watched her best friend and his senior agent go through the basics, Rossi watched her. His profiler eye could easily detect the slight tremor in her hands, even from the distance between them. He could tell that her nerves were slowly gaining traction by the way she moved her weight from foot to foot. And by the way her eyes skittered from the guys to the door, he could tell that she was warring with herself over the idea to do this. He also knew that despite all that, and the fact that her mind was no doubt screaming at her to escape, she would suck it up and do what she needed to do. As the demo came to an end, Aaron turned to Abby and smiled. "Ready?"

"Hell yeah" she whispered.

A surge of pride shot through Aaron as he watched her go through the moves with Derek. Seeing his best friend come back from the brink had been like witnessing a small miracle. In his line of work that was something to treasure. He knew that Gibbs had played a huge part not just in Abby's physical recovery but her emotional and mental recovery as well. Like Aaron, Gibbs was the center that had kept her world grounded and on solid footing. Aaron knew that he would never be able to repay Gibbs for putting the smile back on Abby's face and the spark back in her eyes. He had wondered how Rossi would feel about Abby turning to him and Gibbs for the majority of support, yet Rossi hadn't seemed annoyed. He still found it interesting that Gibbs had never revealed his true feelings to Abby. Aaron knew that Gibbs and Abby's relationship had caused many to wonder why they hadn't gotten together, or in fact if they had done so secretly. Though both had denied feelings other than friendship, Aaron had been a profiler long enough to know that Gibbs would have taken up the challenge; if Abby hadn't been halfway in love with Rossi. Gibbs had quietly backed off and as far as he was concerned no one knew what he missed out on. No one but Aaron. And maybe Rossi.

After nearly three hours of take down practice, Aaron deemed Abby had learned enough for her first day. Sweat dripped from her face. She had the start of a large bruise on her left arm where she had accidentally hit Derek in the forehead rather than the chest. But there was also a gleam in her eye that told all three men that she had done just what she needed to do.

"Good job kid" Derek gave her a pat on the shoulder as he passed her on his way to the showers. Aaron also gleamed with pride. Hugging her and kissing her cheek, he told her "We'll do more later in the week if you want" He threw Rossi a wave as he followed Derek to the showers.

"That was really good" Rossi told her as he approached her side.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really"

Abby gave a soft sigh. "Can you take me home now?"

He groaned quietly.

She had moved into the spare room in Aaron's apartment because of some old fashioned notion she had about not living with a guy that wanted to marry her. And Aaron had been unusually keen to accommodate her. Interesting considering he could have sworn he had the best friends seal of approval. Still, at least she wasn't rooming with Gibbs. That was a man that Rossi seriously had doubts about when it came to Abby.

He was feeling antsy, he decided. He and Abby had only made love once, that time in his office. Right after that encounter he had assumed she would move into his room and they would continue to enjoy each other. But no. She had decided that she had to move out in order to preserve their romance. He had been hoping that she would like to spend the night tonight. He had envisioned her having a lengthy soak in his Jacuzzi with him soaping her back, among other things. By the time he let her out of the Jacuzzi she would be wound so tight she would want nothing but to be under him for the rest of the night. Instead she was opting to go home. To Aaron's. Where he couldn't touch her.


	11. Chapter 11

**_NOTE: Hi - sorry for being so hit and miss with the story. Life ... you know? There is also that point where you think the story os going the way you want it to and then one of the characters says "no, do this" And that's the issue I had! I have had to rewrite a few things more than once as this particular character moved the story along. Hope you like the way it's moving. Next chapter will probably be the last one... Please REVIEW :)_**

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><p>Aaron handed Gibbs a fresh mug of coffee before taking a seat on the couch near him. The two were once again meeting after hours in Aaron's office; just like they had been since the first day of the investigation. They swapped theories, ideas, updates and concerns all pertaining to Abby's case. Now though, Aaron wanted to see how Gibbs was with Abby dating Rossi. Both Abby and Gibbs put up a great facade. Even the casual observer could see that the two had a unique relationship; it was obvious whenever they were in the same room. Aaron knew that Abby was enjoying her time with Rossi, but he felt his friend's heart had always belonged to Gibbs. He also knew that Gibbs would do anything to ensure both Abby's safety and her happiness. Was that why he was fine with watching her and Rossi from the sidelines rather than telling her the truth?<p>

Aaron wanted nothing more that Abby's happiness. And that's why, despite liking the idea of Abby and Rossi together, he wanted to make sure she was making the right decision. Tonight he would find out.

Gibbs looked at Aaron and sighed.

"What?"

The younger man raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking about how well Abby seems to be doing with Rossi"

Watching for even the most subtle sign from Gibbs that this was affecting him, Aaron leaned forward.

"What do you expect me to say Aaron" Gibbs sighed.

"Are you happy for her, about them together? I would have thought you would be a little concerned considering what she's just been through and her history"

Gibbs made no move, not even an eyelash moved.

Aaron pressed on. "Given the close tie that the two of you have, it would be only natural for you to be a little perturbed. Love makes us do silly things …"

"Do not profile me, Agent"

Aaron sighed. "Look, I'm just saying that if there is something you're not telling her, it's getting a little late in the day to do so. And you should do so before you end up with regrets"

"She's been a good friend" Gibbs murmured almost to himself. "We've spent an exorbitant amount of time together. She knows me better than anyone else on the planet; even my own father. I can't imagine not seeing her every day, the little things she does, the way she makes you feel like it's all about you, the special little smile she gets when …." His ears turning slightly red, Gibbs suddenly became interested in a painting on Hotch's wall. "She's been a good friend" he reiterated.

Aaron smiled. "She has always had a secret thing for you"

Gibbs shook his head. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want my best friend to have the best"

Gibbs frowned at the tone in Aaron's voice. Looking him in the eye he asked, "Why do you assume that Rossi is not the man for her?"

* * *

><p>Gibbs would never be able to say what made him do it. One minute he was enjoying dinner with Aaron and Abby at Aaron's plush apartment, the next he opened his mouth and allowed his inner thoughts to flow for the first time; and he didn't give a damn about the consequences.<p>

The night had started so well. Aaron had extended the dinner invitation to him as he left the profilers office after their "chat". The idea of spending time with Abby again had him accepting. The idea Aaron fancied that Gibbs was in love with Abby was far too close to the truth for Gibbs to even want to analyse it.

Aaron Hotchner may have been a terrible husband but he was a hell of a host. Gibbs had never tasted lamb roast that was so tender and moist, or roast potatoes so perfectly crisp. There were plenty of choices for side dishes to accompany the mains with bowls holding all sorts of salad options, minted peas, boiled carrots and corn and even some fried mushrooms. Over the table Gibbs kept sneaking looks at Abby. She was looking so much better, he thought happily. The healthy glow was back in her face, her eyes shinned with her usual excitement as she told him about one of the three apartments Rossi had taken her to see that day, her chatter was nonstop, her happiness obvious. It was the glow of happiness that had Gibbs wondering. If she appeared as happy as she was with Rossi then why had Aaron felt the need to question him about his own feelings for Abby? Did Aaron know something about Rossi that he wasn't sharing?

He continued to ponder the thought as Aaron waved him and Abby out to the balcony to enjoy the night sky while he got coffee ready.

Abby sat on the lounge chair while Gibbs stood at the railing, his back to the view, his eyes on Abby. She smiled up at him as she stretched her legs out.

"So what do you think?"

It took Gibbs a moment to realise that she had been speaking and that he had no idea what it was he was supposed to think about.

"Well .."

Abby laughed, the sound carrying to his ears on the light even breeze.

"Gibbs" she said in that tone she used when she knew that he hadn't been listening to her.

"Sorry Abbs" he smiled "I was thinking about work stuff"

She became solemn. "About him?"

Gibbs took a deep breath. "Depends on which 'him' you refer to"

She frowned. "Foyet"

"Oh"

"What other 'him' would I be referring to?"

Gibbs shuffled a little, something he never did. What a stupid thing to start doing, he thought in a moment of idiocy. Why on earth people shuffled when they were confronted by uncomfortable questions had always bemused him. Yet he saw it time and again from those that he questioned in interrogation rooms. Shuffling always gave their inner feelings away. This last part he remembered just as he got firm control on his feet and ordered them to be still.

"Gibbs"

He reluctantly looked at Abby, but refusing to answer her, shrugged instead.

He was close to saying way too much and opted to keep quiet. He done a good job at remaining quiet around Abby for the last 5 years; no reason to change things now.

Stubbornness ruled.

"You're referring to Rossi"

A statement, not a question, and in a harsh tone that made Gibbs realise that he had fallen into the trap of under estimating the quickness of Anny's mind.

"Abs .. " he started only to be stopped by her raised hand.

"Did Aaron put you up to this?"

"What? No"

She looked at him. "Really? Because suddenly the two of you seem to have become very chummy and you seem to be keenly interested in what my relationship is with Rossi"  
>"We just want to make sure your happy..."<p>

"Really" she noted again, in a colder voice. "Well, what if I told you that Rossi wants to marry me?"

"Abby, don't you think you should try dating him first" Gibbs smiled

Abby opened her mouth to reply, Gibbs was sure the ensuing tirade was going to be loud and strong, but she was interrupted by Aaron.

"Sorry guys. Coffee's done and waiting in the lounge. I just got a text from Penelope and have to make a quick phone call to check what's happening"

Noting the tension on the balcony he asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Fabulous, peachy, never better, swimmingly fine, wonderful ... and evry other stupid word you can think of for being 'ok' "

Aaron frowned. "Abby"

"Just go make your call Aaron!"

It was the first time Gibbs had heard Abby use a furious tine with her best friend. To his credit, Aaron simply nodded, gave Gibbs a 'good luck' look and walked off to his den.

The silence rained down on them. Didn't take long for this to get out of control, Gibbs thought rather moodily.

"I just want you to be happy, Abs. That's all I've ever wanted"

"Interesting" she said quietly. "Would you like to know what I want?"

Expecting her to say something dramatic like 'I want everyone to leave me alone' complete with a very Abby like exit, Gibbs was surprised when instead she opened her heart to him.

"I almost died Gibbs, and while I was lying there on the cold floor waiting for someone to find me I thought about the things that I had always said I would one day do. All the things that I would never do because one day never came. I was so sure I was going to die! I had a list of things that went through my head. I was never going to sky dive, never going to see the ruins of Pompeii, never going to walk the lands that the Bible talks about. I was never going to see another sunrise or sigh at the splendour of a blood red sunset. I was never again going to gaze at the stars and remember how small man truly is. I was never going to be part of a big discovery, never going to work another case, never going to see Tim and Tony finally meet and marry the girls of their dreams! That one alone pissed me off .." She paused for a moment then glanced up to meet the intense blue eyes of Gibbs.

"Most of all I was never going to see you again. Never see your smile, or the face you use when your trying to be grumpy. Never be gifted with another CafPow for doing something as simple as getting you an answer to a bigger picture...'

"Abs" Gibbs interrupted his heart turning. "You're alive..."

"I don't want to be just alive! I want to live! I want the adventure, the pleasure, the beauty ..."

She paused before dropping her bombshell. "I want you Gibbs"

In the ensuing silence Gibbs mind and heart raced. Had she really just said that?

Before he could articulate an answer though she was continuing.

"Only I can't have you can I? And that's why I decided to try to move on from my little fantasy. And Rossi has been so damn good to me. I could do a hell of a lot worse"

Gibbs was still stunned. Still unable to put two words together. Yes you can have me his mind screamed. But his mouth wouldn't let the words out.

With a sigh, Abby started to stand.

Suddenly there was a searing pain in her head, dancing lights in front of her eyes and a blackness closing in. She put a hand out to steady herself, heard Gibbs say her name and then felt a falling sensation. Dimly aware of being picked up, of being carried, she could hear Gibbs's suddenly increased heartbeat. She heard Gibbs anxiously shout to Aaron, heard Aaron's more calmed voice advising Gibbs to take her to her room.

Aaron quickly reassured Gibbs, "It's a dizzy spell. She's had a few of them since returning to work. She always pushes herself to hard. Ducky told her to take it easy"

A cool washcloth was placed over her forehead. Abby opened her eyes, and saw Gibbs sitting beside her holding her hand. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Aaron returned to the room with a small pill bottle. "Ducky left some medication for her"

Gibbs gently helps Abby into a slightly upward position so she could swallow the pills with water. Mission accomplished, she lay back down with a weary sigh and closed her eyes. Moments later she was asleep.

Noticing the forlorn way Gibbs looked at her, Aaron patted him on the shoulder. "She's fine"

Gibbs looked up at him.

"Really, she is" Aaron added with a smile.

Leaving Gibbs to sit with Abby, Aaron made his way back to his den and picked up the phone.

* * *

><p>"Sorry Penelope, something happened in the kitchen"<p>

"Is everything ok?"

Penelope was far too insightful for her own good, Aaron thought, smiling to himself as he reassured her. He knew that now was not the time to reveal that Abby and Gibbs may have reached an understanding about each other that they never had before.

And there was Rossi to consider as well. If what Aaron had been suspecting for the last few weeks was an actual truth there was a huge heartbreak ahead and no way to avoid more than one person getting hurt in the fallout.

He focused again on Penelope's voice as she gave him a rundown of what she, Reid and McGee had managed to uncover about Foyet's movements. Between the three of them they had discovered that the attack on Abby was highly unlikely to be linked to Foyet, who as far as they could tell was on the run from someone himself. What secret darkness was hunting him, Aaron mused. He was snapped to attention when he thought he heard Penelope say, "and that's where they found his body last week"

"Wait" Aaron shook his head to clear his thoughts "What?"

Penelope gave a soft sigh. "That's right Boss Man. The body that LAPD found in Central Park was none other than one George Foyet. Absolute DNA proof tells us he died at least 3-4 months ago. The Reaper is dead sir"

"Then who the hell attacked Abby?" Aaron whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

_Sorry again for the delay - this story is getting me all flipped out! LOL I hope that you enjoy this chapter .. tried to make it as simple as possible - just a background chapter really, and enough to keep folks wondering who did what and could someone close to Aaron have really done such a crime?_

_Enjoy and review any ideas you may have! Thanks_

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><p><span>Chapter 12<span>

Spencer Reid was annoyed – and that was saying something.

He knew that the team had been on the right track when they had found the lead to Foyet in the medication he took that couldn't be substituted. Now though, when they should have been celebrating taking him down, they were all standing in the middle of the man's apartment swapping notes having conducted a search of his abandoned apartment.

Reid cast his eye around the gathered agents, gauging their individual reactions. Almost in a circle around a rickety coffee table stood the disbelieving forms of Agents McGee, DiNozzo, Morgan, and Prentis. Absent were their leaders and Reid wondered who was going to be the one to make the call to tell them about the search that turned up nothing. He hoped they didn't do that silly Rock Scissor Paper thing. As brilliant as he was, he always lost at that game. Deciding in his mind that the person to make the call should be Morgan, seniority wins, he smiled at the brooding agent standing to his left. "Guess since you're the senior person here, you'll have to call Hotch and let him know"

It didn't escape Reid that even DiNozzo smiled at that, "This is one time I'm not going to argue my seniority"

The group smiled again but all of them were at a loss to the events that had happened.

Who killed Foyet? Why? And the most troubling thought; could this be an inside job?

Prentis was the one to break the silence. "Call Hotch, Morgan. We need to regroup and find out what the hell is going on"

* * *

><p>Hotch ended his call and slowly turned his back to the view of the city lights from his patio. He sighed heavily. He was happy that the Foyet issue had been dealt with – though in a way he definitely didn't want. But there was an unease settling into his bones that told him things were going to get worse. He knew better than anyone that the fact Foyet had been killed right after his team had started to actively suspect him for Abby's attack meant that it could be an inside job. Since Gibb's team had been working alongside Aaron's for the entire time, they would be clear of any involvement in Foyet's death. The only person that had both means and time was Rossi. Aaron had known the man for years but he also knew that he had been under amazing pressure in the past few months. The suicide of his ex wife had been the straw to break the camel's back, but no one had seen the changes but Hotch. Rossi was that damn good at playing it cool. Now, as much as Aaron wanted to back the man, he had to wonder. Could Rossi have been the one to kill Foyet? Would he go that far to protect Abby? Yes he would. He knew that because he knew that he himself would have done the same thing if he could have. So now what?<p>

He turned back to face the view of the city. Leaning on the railing of his patio he sighed heavily again. What the hell did he tell Gibbs? He knew Gibbs would go crazy with this new information. Knowing as he did how Gibbs felt about Abby, he knew that this would just be another mark against Rossi. Gibbs would never stand for the man becoming more involved with Abby now. And Aaron had to admit that he had to agree.

He straightened and rolled his tired shoulders. Realising where his thoughts had been heading he mentally shook himself. Rossi hadn't been found guilty yet, he may not have had anything to do with Foyet. In fact it may not have been an inside job at all – it may have been someone else that Foyet had managed to anger enough to induce a murderous rage. Yet he was ready to hang him? He shook his head. How many times had he lectured his team about making snap judgements? Follow the evidence. That will lead to the truth.

As he turned and walked back into his apartment he saw Gibbs walking out of the spare room with a now recovered Abby. He was talking to her quietly as they walked across the room. Aaron couldn't help but notice the light in Abby's eyes as she looked up at her mentor. How right they looked together.

And a dawning suddenly hit him. His profiler mind could see easily see the indicators and the evidence that Rossi could be their number one suspect. But his heart was overwhelmingly against him. He knew though that he would have to do what he always did; look at the evidence with no emotions whatsoever.

"You have a situation"

Aaron closed his office door so he could take the call on his mobile in private. The person on the other end of the phone was Joe Mantegna, a long serving agent in the FBI's LA field office, a man that Aaron had known and trusted for years and someone who would be able to find out if his thoughts about Rossi could be true or not without raising suspicion.

He had given Joe no details except the bare facts. His team had been hunting a serial killer for nearly 6 months, and had just discovered that their prime suspect had been killed a month into their investigation of him.

So far a member of a gang had been picked up and questioned about Foyet and seemed to know more about the man's life than he should. There were things that Foyet had been doing in the last weeks of his life that the gang member had known. The FBI surveillance video had shown that he had been fastidious about keeping his comings and goings to no schedule, just to ensure that no one would know if he was at the house or not. His home was not in his name, he walked everywhere he needed to go and when he shopped he always called ahead to place the order and then walked to collect it. A little investigating at the local store had revealed that Foyet would always call the store, order the same items and then insist there was no receipt printed out. He would always pay in cash to avoid leaving any kind of paper trail. To further hamper those like Garcia who had been searching for him, he had opened an account under a false name using a false identification. The kicker had been that it was in the name of a fictious woman and he had paid a hooker to dress up a little, go into the bank and open the account. No one knew it was actually Foyet who had paid the money he had received from an insurance payout into that account. And no one knew that it was actually Foyet drawing out money every month from that same account. Things that the FBI, who had been watching Foyet were thought to have only known. On the day that he died Foyet had returned to his house after going to the bank and the chemist. Keeping to his regular routine, he should have left the house again just after 5pm to collect his grocery shopping. However, by 8pm one of the surveillance team decided to subtly enter the backyard to see if there was something wrong. He saw Foyet on the floor of the kitchen and a simple stakeout became a homicide investigation. Was the gang member Foyet's killer? If so, to Aaron, it sounded like essential inside information had been passed on to the gangster in order for him to do the killing. Such as key points to Foyet's routine, not least of all the time he would most likely be at home. And entry into the house undetected was another factor that worried Aaron.

"What is it?" he asked sitting at his desk.

Aaron knew what the agent was about to tell him, braced himself for it, but even as the words came across the line he still felt the denial set in.

"You have a leak in your team"


	13. Chapter 13

_Hi All_

_Sorry this has taken so long. I kept hoping that Rossi would let me write him good again but you know how it is when a character in your story wants you to take him/her in a way that you hadn't planned on. So I finally gave in and continued the story the way my character was dictating. This is the end - and having read it more than once, I think it was the better ending than the one I had in mind :) *Thank you Rossi LOL*_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>While the rest of the NCISBAU teams were trying to find Foyet's killer, Gibbs decided to go to Rossi's home and let him and Abby know of Foyet's death. Aaron had opted to keep the death quiet for almost a week. When he explained his reasoning to Gibbs, the older agent had at first been furious. But he had listened to Hotchner's theory that the only person that could have killed Foyet was someone that had the privilege of inside information. And that meant that someone inside one of their offices had leaked or used information about Foyet's whereabouts for their own gain. So while the teams had been keeping an eye on him, waiting for enough evidence to arrest him, someone had killed off their key suspect. For a week, both Abby and Rossi had been as in the dark over this information as the rest of the joint team. Tempers had flared when the combined team had been advised an hour earlier about Aaron's findings. Both Morgan and Tony had once again been the main vocal team members and had no concerns of letting the room know of their displeasure. Gibbs had been a little perturbed when Aaron had asked him to go to Rossi's home and let Rossi and Abby know about Foyet, as well as tell them the team would be regrouping at the NCIS office after lunch. He wasn't looking forward to facing the couple together for the first time since Abby's revelations.

Meanwhile Abby and Rossi were discussing her decision not to marry him.

"Let's just wait until Foyet is caught and then I won't be looking over my shoulder all the time"

Rossi felt frustration but this time instead of tampering it down he was unable to stop the flow. He was truly powerless to his inner demon. The same thing that he had been profiling about in other men was now alive and kicking in him. He was no closer to getting a commitment from Abby, and he was smart enough to know that Gibbs was waiting in the wings. Maybe he had gone after the wrong man. After all, getting rid of Gibbs would have ensured none of this would be happening now. A growl erupted in his throat as he felt the anger pour out.

"Guess I should have told you that you haven't needed to look over your shoulder for a while"

Abby knew the time had come for confessions and hoped that she would be able to deal with Rossi when it came to the crunch.

"What do you mean?" she asked carefully.

"I mean that I took care of Foyet. He won't be causing trouble anymore"

Abby shuddered, now understanding how the paperwork she found in the office was linked to Rossi's moods. "What did you do?"

"I put a bullet in him"

Said so matter of factly, like it meant nothing. She turned her back to him; this was not the Rossi she had thought she could love. "Why?"

Rossi smiled. "He was getting in the way of what I wanted"

Seeing Abby frown he explained. "I wanted you from the moment I saw you. I knew I would have to convince Aaron and Gibbs that I was serious so I set out to woo you. But you spurned the little gifts I left. You went to Gibbs and thanked him for them! And when it turned out it wasn't him you blamed Foyet! A serial killer! You honestly thought my gifts of love were nothing more than some sick prank from a serial killer? A man who didn't even matter anymore!? You were wrong about having to look over your shoulder, Abby" He walked up behind her, put his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. "You should have been looking in front of you"

Abby reeled as she recalled all those little gifts; the notes, the flowers. She had thought they had been from Gibbs. It was her concern that they had been from Foyet that started the whole investigation again. If that hadn't been Foyet, had he really been the one to attack her that night? Or had Rossi ... "You?"

Picking up on her train of thought Rossi frowned. "No, it wasn't me that attacked you that night. That was a flunkey hired by Foyet to warn NCIS and the BAU off his trail. It wasn't about you"

Wasn't about her? Abby thought in a haze. Her life had been turned upside down simply because Foyet wanted to prove a point and Rossi thought it simply wasn't about her? She shivered, fear now seeping into her as she realised to what depths Rossi's mind had sunk.

"Turns out the flunkey wasn't that good though and left enough evidence to trace back to him." Rossi continued as if telling a great story. "I had a friend in the field office take a look at the evidence, got a name and paid him a visit, got what I needed from him in order to find Foyet, and then dealt with him as well. It was so simple it was almost child's play"

"But why didn't your team find that same information?" Abby asked

"I may have thrown a spanner in the works and deleted a few things off the system"

He tipped Abby's head back and looked her in the eye "I'm not as old school as you think my darling" Pulling her close he whispered in her ear, "And now we will be married and I will finally have what I want"

Abby shuddered. Rossi had completely flipped on her. She recalled one of Aaron's favourite lines from some guy named Nietzsche: He who fights with monsters best take care that he doesn't become one. Rossi had slipped into that abyss. She needed to play smart.

"Rossi, I don't think now is a good time to marry ..."

"You already said that"

"I just think that we need to take time. Now that the threat is gone and we can be together, I want us to take time to get to know each other better"

Stalling was doing no good and Abby knew it. Rossi also knew she was playing for time. To what? Find a way to run from him? That was never going to happen. "I really don't care what you want" he whispered squeezing her tighter.

"Ok" she said, thinking of another way out. Maybe if they left the house she would be able to get away. "Let's get married"

There was a moment of stillness and then she felt Rossi's lips on her neck. "Good girl" he whispered sliding the hand holding her against him up over her stomach to cradle her breast as his lips continued to move down the side of her neck. Abby tried not to shudder. The touch of the man she thought she loved once set her on fire with passion; now it reduced her to ashes. How could something so tender turn so evil in so little time? And why was it that her brain now decided to think of the most absurd things? Like 'at least if you get out of this there won't be a need to break up with Rossi and admitting to him you really love Gibbs'. The human mind was an amazing thing, she noted absurdly as they walked to the front door. While Rossi had slowly lost his during his time protecting others, she was contemplating a free pass at her boss!

They walked out the front door just as Gibbs pulled up. Rossi's whispered warning to Abby about not making sudden moves was one she was well intending to heed. She would do nothing to put Gibbs in the firing line. Rossi was spiralling and she hated to think of how bad things could get.

"Rossi! I'm glad I caught you" Gibbs smiled as he approached.

"We were just heading into town for some shopping"

"I just wanted to let you know that Foyet is dead. LAPD found his body in Central Park"

Gibbs noticed that neither Rossi nor Abby had the happy glow that they should have when being told that the man that put Abby in danger was dead. Rossi seemed fidgety, like he wanted to be somewhere else. Abby looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Why? Had they had a bit of a tiff? Gibbs knew how sensitive Abby could be and knew, from his own arguments with her, that she hated confrontation. He hoped Rossi would understand that and try to just make things right. It was hard to stand back and watch the women he loved give herself to someone else. But this was what she had chosen, and as anyone in love with a friend knew, it was better to support the person than to lose the friendship altogether.

"I thought you guys would like to know the news as soon as possible. Both teams are now combining their information to find out who the killer was"

"Does it really matter?"

Gibbs was slightly taken aback by Rossi's tone. He seemed bored by the news. "Sorry?"

"Does it really matter who killed him? I mean, seriously Gibbs, if any one deserved a bullet in the brain it was Foyet"

Gibbs froze at the mention of a bullet to the brain. How could Rossi have known how Foyet had been killed? Investigation 101 was simple: if someone knows how someone was killed before its made public, chances are they are the one that did the killing. Would Rossi kill for Abby? Hell, Gibbs thought, I would so why wouldn't he? He was just jumping to conclusions, looking for things that weren't there, and all because he had been foolish enough to not tell Abby he loved her years ago. He had a second chance when they had been on Aaron's balcony and Abby had opened her heart – but he'd remained quiet. Abby had effectively cut him off since that night. She still spoke to him, shared coffee with him, and laughed at his attempts to joke. But the old easy spark between the two of them was now gone. Gibbs had woken up this morning and realised he was fighting a losing battle. It was time for a truce. He wanted his friendship with Abby back. He was about to eat humble pie and let Rossi know he was happy for him and Abby when a motion from Abby caught his eye.

Abby was trying desperately to catch Gibbs eye. Standing in front of Rossi she was able to make a small hand gesture in sign language. It looked like "H E L P" Gibbs glanced at the movement of her hands and realised that she was in trouble. From Rossi though?

"So, Rossi, I was wondering. How did you know how Foyet was killed?"

Abby could feel Rossi tense behind her, his grip on her tightened painfully. With her eyes she begged Gibbs to help her. _Hang in there baby_, Gibbs tried to communicate to her through his look. At the same time his mind was reeling. What in the hell was going on with Rossi? This was more than a tiff. "You mentioned it" Rossi pushed Abby towards the car.

"No I didn't"

"You didn't? Well then, call it a lucky guess"

Abby stumbled slightly as Rossi once again tried to push her forward. Gibbs drew his gun. "Let her go Rossi"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"LET HER GO!"

"You really think that I'm going to hurt her? After all we've been through?" As Rossi's hold tightened even more painfully on Abby she whispered his name. "Gibbs"

There was a pained look in Gibbs eyes as he glanced at Abby. "It's okay Abby. Rossi is going to let you go and then he and I are going to talk. Right Agent Rossi?"

"Hell, no"

Abby saw her chance and took it. All those hours of learning takedowns came to the fore of her mind as she stomped on Rossi's foot, rammed her elbow into his gut, then turned and slammed the heel of her hand into his nose. With the gun stilled aimed at Rossi, Gibbs used his free hand to drag Abby out of the way. He would talk to her later about her foolishness in trying to take Rossi down. Right now he just needed to know she was okay. But in the blink of an eye things went crazy. As Gibbs pulled Abby back she yelled his name, alerting him to the fact that Rossi was armed. With a roar he ran towards Gibbs aiming his weapon. Without a thought Gibbs fired first, hitting Rossi directly in the chest. The agent fell to the ground a circle of red blood colouring his pristine white shirt. Abby gasped in shock. Rossi ...

The man she thought was her hero, her champion, her love. All the things she had hoped, all the things he had promised, all the dreams she had dared to dream. All gone. A sob tore through her. She almost hit the ground but felt a strong pair of arms come around her, a hushed voice in her ear, a scent surround her. These things she had known and loved for years. These things she recognised. Gibbs. She looked up at him. This man who had always been her hero, always been her champion and, yes, she now admitted, her love. As Gibbs held her tight in his embrace he murmured things to her that she knew he thought would comfort her. "I'm so sorry, Abs. Sorry you had to go through this. I'm here though. I'll help you through. Everything's going to be alright now" As sirens sounded in the background, as Rossi lay dead in his own front yard, Abby clung to her one constant. Gibbs and his love.

**_Nearly 6 month later_**:

Abby waited on the lift doors to open before she raised her eyes from the file she was reading. When she did her gaze collided with that of Gibbs. They had barely talked about Rossi's death, Aaron's anger and guilt at not seeing Rossi for what he had become, the fallout of a legendary profiler turning to the dark side that had almost shut the BAU down or the feelings that continued between Gibbs and Abby. Gibbs walked out of the lift and stood in front of Abby. His penetrating blue eyed gaze forced her to meet his eyes.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine"

"Really, Abs?"

"Really Gibbs"

He continued to stare at her.

"I have to get this file down to autopsy. Ducky wants to go over the findings again now that JAG have decided to move the case forward..." She was rambling and she knew it. It was either that or throw herself into his arms. She made a move to get into the lift, but Gibbs's hand on her arm stopped her.

"We need to talk Abs. _Really_ talk"

"I know"

"Have dinner with me tonight. My place 8 o'clock. I'll cook"

He waited with baited breath as Abby chewed her lip thinking it over.

"Ok" she finally whispered. "8 o'clock"

Gibbs smiled, leaned over and kissed her forehead. As Abby got into the lift she realised it was the first time he had kissed her forehead since Rossi.

It turned out that they would spend very little time talking.

Dinner was served at 8.30 on the dot. The ever punctual former Marine was aiming to please rather than impress. Gibbs was a man of few words firmly believing that actions spoke louder. His actions tonight had Abby on edge. He was acting like a man in love. And when he presented her dessert with rose petals scattered around the plate Abby had to ask, "Are you trying to say something here"

Gibbs smiled as he sat down. "We both know where this is going Abs. I know what you feel and you know what I feel. I think we should just stop dancing around it and let nature take its course"

Abby almost laughed. "So romantic" she quipped.

"You know me well enough to know that's not me" He got up from his chair and pulled her into his arms. "But you also know that I will do anything to protect you, that nothing will come between us" he paused to push the hair from Abby's shoulders, leaving her neck bare for his lips. "And you sure as hell know that I will love you until the day I die"

"I would give anything to make what happened to you go away. I will never fully understand what you went through during the attack, or the hell you have been suffering since. All I can do is love you forever and promise that I will never let you down"

Abby smiled as Gibbs's lips continued to trace the side of her neck, his fingers loosening her top when the material got in the way of his pursuit. Just as she was going under Gibbs whispered against her, "If you're going to run from this, tell me now. I'm too old for games Abby. I want you with me forever"

She put her hands on his cheeks raising his face to hers so he could see her eyes dance as she told him, "I'm not going anywhere"

She was almost positive she heard him whisper "Thank God" against her lips before he kissed her.

Dessert was forgotten.

She had been shy the first time they'd made love ; not wanting him to see the full extent of her scars and often moving her body to block his vision of them. However, long, contentened, soul-filling hours had passed between the time Abby had arrived for dinner and now. Under his patient tutelage she'd come a long way in that time, no longer trying to conceal herself or prevent him from looking until he'd had his fill. He had deliberately paid special attention to the jagged scar on her right hip, as if his kisses and touches alone could heal the wound. She hadn't even argued when he'd turned the bedroom lights on as night fell, and made love to her again. She had finally slept curled on her side with him spooned against her back, his arm around her waist anchoring her body to his. Even in sleep Gibbs continued to protect Abby.

Now, as she approached him in the kitchen where he was preparing breakfast, he was unable to resist leaning down and kissing her.

She wore nothing but his shirt and a shy smile. "I always thought I had great taste in clothes" he smiled as he reached out and used the front of the shirt to pull her into his embrace. "However, I do believe it's the woman currently in my shirt that makes my taste so good"

Abby giggled girlishly as she accepted Gibbs's kiss.

She had a heady power over him he admitted. But he had the same power over her. Together they would survive whatever life chose to throw at them.

Love meant giving someone the power to hurt you, yet trusting them not to.


End file.
